


GRNT Team: From Then to Now

by Deviss617, SoulofHorus, Will_of_Anubis



Series: RWBY Stories [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Atleasian Sign Language, Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Family, Gen, Minor Crude Language, My First Work in This Fandom, Signal Academy - Freeform, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 115,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25559557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deviss617/pseuds/Deviss617, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulofHorus/pseuds/SoulofHorus, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Will_of_Anubis/pseuds/Will_of_Anubis
Summary: Grace Briggs, a girl from a normal Huntsman family, as far as Remnant standards go. Ray O'Connor, a boy who was adopted into an accepting family. Nick O'Brien, a Faunus who survived on the streets of Vale until he met a librarian. Tera Rowe, a daughter to a wealthy Mistral company, runs away from home to seek refuge in Vale.Oddly enough, they are drawn together, and they all want the same thing: To be Huntsmen/Huntresses. Along the way, friends are made, a family is found.Is it worth mentioning that one of them has silver eyes?
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Platonic Relationships - Relationship
Series: RWBY Stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852216
Kudos: 3





	1. Trailer

**Author's Note:**

> _She wants to be a Huntress. She knows from the stories her father told her that Huntsmen and Huntresses are highly respected, sometimes revered, at least the good ones are._
> 
> _He was just trying to be a kid being nice to those who were different from him. Something that the world of Remnant needs more of. A gentle, honest soul._  
>    
> _What really perplexed the boy was the fact that she accepted him as is. A Faunus._  
>    
> _She wanted to leave but this would take time and potentially years of planning. Years of planning that she will gladly spend to get out of this place called hell._

_Was it a good idea to run through the Emerald Forest at night? No, but that cannot be helped now._ An eight year-old-girl was running through the forest, exploring for her own entertainment at first, and she seemed unaware of what was lurking in the dense trees. However, that changed when she heard shouting. They seemed to be after her, and they said some vulgar things. The reason she was being chased was that she was human. The White Fang were after her. All they want to do is oppress Humans, the radical ones at least. Sure, _some_ Humans have treated the Faunus unfairly, but not her, she’s an ignorant child. She never once treated them with any ill-intent yet they seemed to be on a bloodthirsty vengeance spree. Grace kept running through the Emerald Forest, away from the White Fang. They were tracking her, hunting her, just to kill her for sport.

While it would be nice to hunt, Grace would rather not be the hunted. The good thing about the forest is that she can rub some of the leaves on herself to hide her scent, at least, she _thinks_ that’ll work. She saw it on a TV show once. Her scroll vibrated in her pocket, most likely her parents wanting to know where she is. Grace has a tendency to sneak out to train more. She wants to be a Huntress. She knows from the stories her father told her that Huntsmen and Huntresses are highly respected, sometimes revered, at least the good ones are. There will always be a few bad apples.

A twig snapped to her left, and her eyes scanned what she could, but it was increasingly difficult since some variety of Faunus have the ability to see in the dark, while her normal human eyes could not. They definitely had the advantage. They would soon capitalize on it as well. Grace then knew that she would be in so much trouble when she got out of this.

Not when… _if_ she got out of this. None of this would have happened if she just listened to her parents. She just _had_ to go outside the house when they told her not to. While Grace isn’t a completely rebellious child, she definitely doesn’t take too kindly to a mostly authoritarian rule, which in some cases was the problem. There needs to be some wiggle room, and if there isn’t, she makes the wiggle room.

Grace took the moment to inspect herself in the fading light, her skin had fresh cuts from the trees and one from the member that managed to jump her and surprise her which prompted her to run in the first place. She was just meditating, looking out to the city. Her white tank top was covered in dirt and partially shredded, it was kinda unfair, she actually _liked_ this shade of white. It was a great counter to her tan/cream skin. Not that it was bad, but Grace swears she saw red on it. Blood takes a lot to get out of clothes, especially on the polar opposites of the color spectrum.

More sticks and twigs were heard being snapped, and Grace froze, completely aware that she was being surrounded, they weren’t subtle about it. The adrenaline from the chase was starting to wear off, and now, all of her muscles were starting to scream in pain. Her tiny body was breathing shorter and shorter breaths. Her mind already caught the realization of her situation. She was trapped, no way out, and hyperventilating. A panic attack would ensue, had it not be for the negative emotions she was projecting.

Her father taught her a few things about the creatures of Grimm. One of those things was to never have negative emotions in the field, it is what attracts them. As much as the White Fang scares her, the Grimm scare her even more. Those beady red eyes, looking like they can read your soul like a children’s book, finding out all your deepest darkest secrets, what makes you tick. It’s like having your shadow watching you, something that just makes one shiver at the mere thought. Ursas, which resemble some sort of bear, are the second most common to find in Vale. The most common are Beowolves, and then Borbatusks and Death Stalkers, and finally Nevermores, then squeeze in Taijitus as well. While other types of Grimm exist, they are usually found farther outside the kingdoms.

From the right peripheral of Grace’s vision, she saw the White Fang mask, only because the moon was particularly bright tonight, then she saw the gun, then she saw the wicked grin on the member’s face. They darkly chuckled, finger on the trigger. “Caught you, filthy Human.”

Grace squeaked in fear and waited for the bullet to hit her, she closed her eyes, and she didn’t know if it made it worse or better. Her body was so tired, and outrunning a bullet was mostly impossible. The resounding click happened and the bullet impacted her, knocking her back as she tumbled to the ground and just laid there, unmoving. The bullet did indeed hit her. Grace raised her hand weaky to see it flare in a white greyish glow. Her father mentioned that this was what Aura was. _I found my Aura._ Aura was unlocked one of two ways, either someone unlocked it for you, or it unlocked out of great stress or trauma. The latter is rarer than the former since those are usually performed in controlled environments.

Thankfully, she found it, but she feared that she would never get to use it, given her current situation. A growl from close by got her attention. Her eyes shifted to see an Ursa on the prowl, its claws sharp, looking like it could pierce steel. Grace couldn’t even move, her fear slowly rising and freezing in place. The sounds of footsteps retreating made Grace want to move, to will herself to move, but she couldn’t. Apparently, the White Fang member got the memo.

Then, the Ursa roared and swung its claws at _something_ , but Grace couldn’t tell what. Soon, the Ursa just collapsed, almost too fast and then it disappeared. Grace was wide-eyed at the display. The young girl tried to push herself up but she felt so weak and just _tired_. She wanted to sleep, right there on the forest floor.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and rolled her over gently, accompanied by a soft voice, “Relax, sweetie. The monsters are gone.”

“W-Who are you?” Grace asked, only seeing the person’s cloak, obscuring most of her face. The weapon must have been put away, as to not scare her, at least any more than she already was.

“A Huntress. What are you doing out here in the forest? It’s dangerous for you to be out here, little one. Your parents must be worried sick,” the Huntress cooed. It was said with so much care and love, that Grace exhaled a shaky breath at the calmness and delivery of her words. While disguised as a scolding, the words were nurturing in nature.

The Huntress recognized this child, as she was great friends with most, if not all, the Huntsmen and Huntresses in the Kingdom of Vale. Still, her parents must be worried about her, unless she snuck out of her home in the dead of night.

“I-I wanted t-to run through the f-forest, to train, I wanna be a Huntress,” Grace said, feeling exhausted and droopy. She was barely able to keep her eyes open, and the fight to sleep was growing stronger and stronger by the second.

“I saw. You managed to activate your Aura, and at such a young age too,” the Huntress’ voice had a compliment mixed with acute surprise. Most don’t unlock their Aura _this_ young, usually around ten or eleven, if they have the potential.

Grace’s words became slurred, vision blurring, “D-Daddy tauhgt me howh, he’s xa Hunsmans.”

A small giggle escaped the Huntress, “Alright, I believe you. Sleep, little one, I’ll get you home.” The last thing Grace felt was the feeling of arms cradling her and the cloak covering her person to protect her from the cold. The last thought little Grace had was, _She smells like roses._

* * *

At some other time, a child couldn’t be in a worse situation than this. They were closing in on him, the Grimm. Why he decided to go outside the Kingdom was beyond him, but he just needed to move and be free. Not like his ‘parents’ ever cared about him. His adoptive parents were great people, don’t get the kid wrong, but they weren’t bad or rude to him, but they were… weird, like they thought he would be a ticking time bomb. They seem to look into his eyes and just shy away, not of fear for him, but for themselves. However, with all of his conflicting negative emotions, the Grimm were attracted to him. They were on the hunt, but they were also not the only ones.

Ray has been stopping and sabotaging White Fang operations for as long as he’s had his Semblance, which hasn’t been long. He named his Semblance Blink Shot. It has a range of around one hundred yards, but sometimes Ray stretches the limits of that range, and with time he could go farther than that. However, this isn’t the first time he had to run away from the White Fang, but this was the first time he got to use his Semblance in the chase. Normally, he wouldn’t have to use it because he would blend into the crowd. Out here in Forever Fall, there wasn’t a crowd to hide in. At first, the White Fang was friendly to him; he was just the kid who would come around and relax with the Faunus, he loved meeting these people. That is an important distinction, they weren’t _animals_ ; they were _people_. The members were kind to the child. That was until they decided to try and apprehend him, and it looked like they didn’t want to either, but were ordered to.

He was only a kid, and he didn’t want to take the life of another person, even though they wanted to wipe him off the face of Remnant. Ray continued to teleport, his aura dropping from the constant use of his Semblance, and it was going fast as he hadn’t had it for that long and his endurance was weak. His eyes saw the Kingdom’s walls, and he was so close until a flash of red and black blindsided him. His aura broke from the impact and he tumbled to the ground.

Suddenly, the Forever Fall forest looked like one massive blur of color, as if it doesn’t already. Everything spun out of control as the child tumbled through multiple bushes and over a couple of tree roots. The pain was grating on the last remnants of his Aura before it finally broke after colliding with a small tree. The silver shimmer flickered before fading, but he refused to be helpless.

With a groan, he pushed himself onto his back, just to see other White Fang members surround him, while others were fighting Grimm, mostly small Beowolfs. One of the White Fang members was wearing all black and red, the Grimm Mask had trails of red on it. However, that wasn’t what truly caught his eyes, but the blade he was holding. Ray figured he might die young, but not _this_ young. “Look at you, a wannabe Huntsman trying to do some dirty work.” Then, the person stopped above him and finally looked at him. “You’re just a child, and you’ve caused us all sorts of problems!” Even he couldn’t see, but it was obvious that they were gritting their teeth.

Unfortunately, Ray would not be able to escape, his Aura being broken, and he might have some bruised limbs. The person in charge drew their sword and the tip, the very sharp tip, was positioned over Ray’s heart, then flashed to his throat and lazily brought back to his heart. Ray’s mind was high on adrenaline. It didn’t seem fair that they were all after him, but he did destroy a crate of Dust that they were planning to use to attack the Kingdom with. The Vale branch of the White Fang was the most violent, and in such a short time too. It might have to do with the leader currently standing over him. 

Ray attempted to crawl away, but the leader put their foot on his chest, harshly, with an audible crack being the result, making most of the Faunus around him flinch, their ears being sensitive. “Sir, he’s just a child. Is this really necessary?” the question was followed by gagging and then the person dropped. The blade gleamed with blood. He tried to raise the foot off his chest, but they pushed down harder as Ray tried to suck in a breath.

Ray’s adrenaline faded and was now afraid if he wasn’t already. _I’m going to die, aren’t I?_ Slowly his fear became acceptance. He tried to run and failed, and now he would pay the price. “Do not question me! That goes for everyone, do you hear me? Or do you want to end up like him?” the sword was pointed at the fresh corpse, the blood still dripping from the blade.

A lot of resounding ‘Yes, sirs’ went around and then they continued to shoot Grimm while the young child could feel the intense glare of the Faunus’s eyes on him. Ray closed his eyes and waited. His breathing would surely give out soon, because with the number of ribs bruised, possibly broken, it’ll be a miracle if his Aura heals the damage. Ray would accept his fate and he would be with the Maidens.

However, when the boot stepped off his chest, he opened his eyes to see the sword over his throat. “We may be monsters, but even we don’t kill children. Let this be a lesson, _filth_. If I or my men ever see you meddling with our operations again, you will pay the price.”

Ray thought he was going to be fine until he felt… off. The sword was parallel to the leader’s arm. Ray brought his hand to his neck and felt blood. His mind was reeling now and he inched backward. He felt as if he couldn’t speak, and he didn’t know how true that would be. With more difficulty than Ray would like to admit, he pulled himself up to a crouch and started to limp away in fear that the leader would finish him off. However, with him having breathing problems and bleeding from the neck. Ray may just die here.

The White Fang didn’t chase him, they just let him go; most of the members watched on in pity. In their eyes, it was _overkill_ to do that to a child, but they held their tongues unless they wanted to end up like the newbie there. While they were radical, they wouldn’t stoop that low just to get revenge, killing a harmless child would put the Fang into an even worse position than it already is in. They watched him go and with that, their greatest friend was gone. Whether Ray knows it or not, they all loved and respected him, even if he did sabotage their projects. He was just trying to be a kid being nice to those who were different from him. Something that the world of Remnant needs more of. A gentle, honest soul.

* * *

Thanks to a friend of his, Nick learned that people will hire kids to do odd jobs and they get a certain amount of Lien. Nick actually put on longer clothes to hide his identifiers, while his scales have not fully grown in, they do exist. Some employers are a little stingy on who they hire. Not that he can truly blame them, but come on, not every Faunus is going to steal from them.

Unfortunately, when Nick tried to look for his friend, he was nowhere to be found. It was a little upsetting, but Nick realized it may just be because he’s a Faunus and Humans don’t want to interact with Faunus. With the racist remark in mind, Nick wanted to do what he originally set out to do. _But what if I don’t want to have to resort to that?_

It is a dark thought, but the fact that Nick’s upbringing wasn’t the most… _caring_ … he left when he could. When his friend mentioned his parents, Nick felt a twinge of jealousy because while his parents weren’t the best, his friend’s were at least _alive_. Nick’s parents did not have that luxury.

While at a peaceful protest a few years ago, Nick’s parents were killed by Human supremacists. These supremacists actually saved Nick from his world, from his torture. Nick’s parents were abusive, stating multiple times that he was a drunken mistake and that no one would ever care for him. So, when his parents were killed, he didn’t cry. He laughed maniacally, like a psychologically broken patient. He outright _thanked_ his parent’s murders. Some of the scars on Nick’s skin were because his parents peeled off his scales as they tried to grow in. It wasn’t a painless process. It felt like someone was ripping off a limb but on a smaller scale, _ironic_.

Even the humans paused when Nick said his thanks. They asked why he would be happy his parents were dead. His response… he admitted aloud that they abused him constantly, that they said he should have never been born and other sorts of hateful things at the ripe age of five. They reminded him every day for three years. Over that time, he became desensitized to most emotions, as most feelings were sucked out of him. Some remained, but on a much smaller scale.

That was until he ran away and never looked back. Some days, he wonders why the Humans never killed him that day, maybe out of shock. The shock that a _child_ admitted he wasn’t upset over his parents. Normally, a child is solely dependent on his parents so having a child admitting that he didn’t need his parents sent a message, unknowingly to both parties. 

Months passed, and Nick still hasn’t heard from his friend and he actually worried about him. Something never sat right with him. How did his friend appear and disappear like that? Nothing immediately came to mind, so Nick went to the local Vale library to see if he could find something-anything-out about this.

The woman behind the front desk saw Nick and smiled warmly to him, “Hello dear, is there anything I can-” she stopped and inspected him. Nick tensed, normally he would be wearing his longer clothes, but today, he needed to stretch. He needed self-confidence. However, it exposed his body in more ways than one, “Sweetie, you look so thin! Are you hungry?”

Nick involuntarily flinched. The woman noticed and her eyes expressed anger, but he could tell it wasn’t directed towards him. Nick was about to shake his head no, but on cue, his stomach growled, loudly, enough to draw eyes to him from across the library. The woman behind the desk laughed, her anger disappearing, “Would you like to come to the market and grab something to eat? It’s only down the block, it’ll be quick.”

The Faunus child was still hesitant but thought about the idea of food. Food was good, but he was still ready to bolt if things turned sour, “Okay… b-but I need to l-look s-something up when we come back.”

“Of course, dear. My assistant will help keep the library up and running while we head out. I’m in the mood for noodles, is that something you would like dear?” the woman asked.

Nick froze in his tracks, he never had the option to choose before. Even after all these months of getting paid from his odd jobs, he always got the same thing from a local vendor, a chicken sandwich. Guess you can call him a creature of habit. Nick paused for a moment before snickering lightly to himself. The remark’s meaning didn’t slip by him, he knows people use it to be racist, but when you’ve been exposed to a lot of violence, it kinda just feels dull. “Uhm… I’ve n-never _had_ an o-options b-before, madame.”

“Well, in that case, how about you try the normal bowl, something to try and if you like it, then you can try another item off the menu,” the woman gently said with a small smile.

Nick didn’t say anything as he was in shock. Why was this woman being so nice to him? Why does he deserve such kindness? All his life he was told differently, and maybe he just needed someone to help him move in the right direction. However, would his mind allow him to get help? Being abused for a portion of his childhood, he’s been exposed to the worst of the worst. He was permanently scarred, he knew that, but still… Hesitantly, he nodded. Something about this woman oozed trust, or at least compassion.

The two went to the closest noodle shop, albeit Nick went reluctantly, he was waiting for the punchline, literally. The pair received their order, just two normal bowls of noodles. Well, normal for an adult, but for a child, the bowl was huge! It was so big that the young Faunus couldn’t even wrap his arms around it! The noodles went over the top of the bowl, and it was a _lot_ of noodles. When they arrived at their table they ate in silence, just enjoying the time for different reasons. Nick basically slurped down the noodles like they were liquid. Granted, he was hungry and his growing body needs sustenance since he had suffered other afflictions during his darkest time. At the finale of the meal, he set the bowl down, exhaled a sigh of happiness, and then burped loudly. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he hid his face in his hands. “You remind me of some of the children I sometimes babysit, always embarrassed over the littlest of things.”

“Sorry,” Nick squeaked in surprise, and was waiting to be hit, his eyes downcast.

“It’s fine, dear. Switching topics, why did you come to the library?” the woman questioned. It sounded harsh to the Faunus and his eyes were wide and he was looking for possible escape routes. “Dear, I’m not going to harm you.” The woman’s words were sincere, Nick could tell, but the irrational (maybe rational) part of his mind said that this was a trap, a ploy, a scheme, or a straight bamboozle. No one was this nice to a Faunus.

“I w-wanted to l-learn things,” Nick said shyly, deciding to go against what his mind thought and went with his instincts. They told him that he wasn’t in danger.

“What type of things?” the woman gently asked, not making any moves, noticing the tendencies lining up by the droves.

“A-Anything that doesn’t dissscriminate,” Nick said with a little difficulty. He slapped a hand over his mouth when he hissed. That was another thing he didn’t like, but he couldn’t help it. It slipped out when he was trying to be serious.

The librarian put a finger to her chin and tapped it a few times, “I may just have the book for you. Come on, we’ll head back, that is, if you want to.”

Nick slowly nodded, basically extending the olive branch, which the woman took with care. She knows a troubled soul when she sees one. Carefully, Nick walked next to the woman, but he couldn’t help but keep an eye out for her actions. He was looking for an excuse to run.

When the two arrived at the library, the woman gave Nick books on Huntsmen and Huntresses and she let him be. After all, it was a public library. They were children’s books on Huntsmen, something he could hopefully read as his level, but his mind wanted more knowledge.

So for the next few weeks, Nick increased his literacy and read every single book that the library had on Huntsmen and Huntresses. Over time, Nick grew close to the woman, she only gave her name as Wynn. Ms. Wynn. She wasn’t a bad person and Nick respected her for it, but couldn’t help but be curious as to what her first name was. What really perplexed the boy was the fact that she accepted him as is. A Faunus.

* * *

The mansion was boring and lonely, not to mention that there was a single person in sight. The warm colors of the architecture were all nice, but they amplified the loneliness of Tera’s situation. She would have gone out with friends if they all didn’t talk behind her back. Oh wait, that isn’t possible, she was not allowed to be outside the manor, but that didn’t stop her. However, her tutors were the best in Mistral, so she knew all about business. This was normally how Tera’s days went when she wasn’t at ‘school’. School being a subjective term, as she went to tutors were paid well enough to hide Tera’s existence, and if they threatened to expose her, well, she would get a new tutor in a week’s time. It bothered her immensely. The weekends weren’t much better, they are completely boring and since her family doesn’t want to interact with her, she headed to one of the two rooms that she could be herself, the woodwind room. Without this room, she doesn’t know how she would be sane. She would have gone insane if she didn’t have her favorite instrument.

Yes, her fancy-schmancy mansion has a room dedicated to the woodwind instruments. Tera’s favorite happens to be a saxophone/bass clarinet. Something about jazz music is so soothing, almost making all of her worries go away. She readied her bass clarinet, which was almost too big for her, and sat down in her chair and decided to go free form. Thankfully, there was a recently developed by an Atlesian music enthusiast that played drums and other filler instruments to match whatever tune she was playing at. Since it was free form jazz, the drums would have to find the best way to fit in. Something about this type of music was something she loved and she wanted it to never end.

Tera turned on the speakers and made sure the program was running, then she went to her scales for her saxophone, just to test the program. Once she was satisfied, she played a small tune, a quiet melody played in different pitches, some notes accented. The music flowed throughout the room, echoing slightly off the walls, reverberating through her body. The feel of the melody being harmonized with the background, even letting a solo out, where Tera went completely freestyle. However, it was cut off as she saw someone at the door, her brother. The music died, as did the echo, and she felt the serene atmosphere being vacuumed out of her. Her brother was always such a killjoy. At least she wanted some adventure in her life. She may know the biz, but she doesn’t want a part of it. However, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t learned anything. She knows a lot about weapons, and how they are built, cared for, and everything in between. That part of being a Huntress is covered. Her father’s Blacksmithing business in Mistral was something that she benefited from, hence her aforementioned skills. Oh, did she mention that her parents have ignored her since she was seven ever since she said she wanted to be a Huntress?

“Nǐ hǎo jiěmèi,” her brother, Tobias Rowe, a self-absorbed cocky asshole, said in his sickly sweet voice. He was older than Tera by a few years. Not to mention that he only speaks Mistralian to her, knowing she can’t always catch every word or double entendre, especially when he speaks a little too fast for her liking. Basic is the language that everyone normally speaks unless they are stubborn and want to be difficult and show off their superiority. Did Tera mention that he literally one-ups her at every possible opportunity? He doesn’t have a reason to when she is shunned so far into the background that no one will even notice her presence, even if she was ever revealed to actually _exist_. It’s been that way for years, and it will stay that way for the foreseeable future.

“Gēgē,” Tera responded in kind, even if it was anything but. She was monotone, putting on a façade that was specifically catered to him. Her amber-orange eyes stared right at her brother’s, meeting his gaze, not backing down.

“Fùqīn yào dài wǒ qù jiàn tā de shāng yè huǒ bàn. Wǒ yǐ wéi wǒ huì shì gè hěn bàng de xiōng dì, ràng nǐ zhī dào,” her brother said. Tera caught the words ‘father’, ‘business’, and she understood the whole last sentence. He would always come to gloat about how he was the successful one in the family while she was the outcast.

“Hǎo ba, xiōngdì,” Tera said to her brother turning back to her saxophone and playing a small melody to keep her calm. Her brother gets on her nerves way more than she lets on and one day, she’s going to break. She can’t handle his smugness all the time. One day she’ll get out of here, but that one day is not today.

When she couldn’t get back into the rhythm of her song, she very calmly put away and cleaned everything, making the room look immaculate, like it was never touched. While she wants to decorate the room, it was nothing compared to what she wanted to do. She wanted to leave but this would take time and potentially years of planning. Years of planning that Tera will gladly spend to get out of this place called hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chinese (Mistralian) Translations During Tera’s conversation with Tobias. I apologize if some of this is not correct, I am not fluent in Chinese, merely adding a bit of world depth.
> 
> Nǐ hǎo jiěmèi, (Hello, sister)
> 
> Gēgē, (Brother)
> 
> Fùqīn yào dài wǒ qù jiàn tā de shāng yè huǒ bàn. Wǒ yǐ wéi wǒ huì shì gè hěn bàng de xiōng dì, ràng nǐ zhī dào, (Father is taking me to see his business partners. I thought I would be a wonderful brother and let you know.) 
> 
> Hǎo ba, xiōngdì, (Okay, have fun brother)
> 
> **NOTE:** Not every sequence is in the same time frame.
> 
> I originally had written four separate trailers and tried to blend them into the story. They were interwoven with the first chapter, and it made it confusing. My best friend/editor told me since I tried to incorporate them into the story the way I did, it would not work out in my favor.
> 
> After discussing it thoroughly, which consisted of late-night chats, I mashed them all together just to give a glimpse this time around. I am jumping into this FNDM after seven years, I have zero expectations for how this will be received, considering where I start in the timeline. I prefer character-inserts because then I _feel_ apart of the universe I'm writing in.
> 
> Sure OC-related stories aren't commonplace, but I feel like we miss out on opportunities that are just dangling in front of us. I've been prepping this story for a few months, ever since I've finished Chance Beyond Reality. I have chapters already written and more on the way. I have plots, story arcs, hopefully character development. This will somewhat follow canon, but diverge at some points, things will change, but I hope to jump in with my best foot forward.
> 
> Major thing to note, this is more about my characters than canon characters. While they do play a part, which you will see, it focuses on GRNT. Hopefully, some of you stick around. If not, I appreciate you all checking this out.
> 
> From the author,
> 
> SoulofHorus


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Glimpse into each of the children's' lives. There are still pieces missing, however.

Sitting on the cliff’s edge, looking out into the sunset was a child. A child who was crying. The child couldn’t look directly at the grave, he couldn’t look at the time he failed. He failed her. He failed them. He failed her children. He couldn’t look at them. He tries to be there for them, but he knows that he can’t be for his siblings. There were so many times that he wanted to leave, but every time he wanted to, but he couldn’t just abandon her. Not her. Something in him wouldn’t let him. Something just stopped all thoughts of it, and the image of a tiny silver-eyed girl smiling in her red hood replaced his thoughts about leaving.

While he was still feeling sad, he cracked a smile. Ruby was someone who always brought him joy, but he only brings agony. Ray barely remembers the mission, but he doesn’t remember what happened afterward. All he _does_ remember was being in the hospital with Ruby hugging him and crying. Yang was at the edge of the bed and just rubbing her younger sister’s back. From there, it only got worse. The only reason why he came here to her grave was that the Grimm actually didn't come here, no matter what emotion was being emitted, it was like this area was sacred ground. It sometimes felt he was passing through a barrier. Should he really be here? Honestly, at this point, he should be going. Just staying there was bringing up memories he’d rather not want to reminisce on. However, that didn’t stop the tears.

While he was crying, he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him, even though the leaves crunching should have been a clear sign to stop crying. “Cheer up, kiddo. She wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up like this,” a scruffy voice said. 

Ray turned his tear-filled face towards the man, before shakily signing, ‘I know, but I-I… cannot help but feel re-responsible.’ The shaking of his hands was what was making him ‘stutter’. That, and it was kind of cold out and he _was_ sitting there for quite some time, enough to know that he missed dinner. No doubt they were worried about him. He didn’t exactly tell them he was going to see her. Likely more than not that Ruby would come to find him soon after.

The older man sighed, his light crimson eyes locking with Ray’s silver ones, “Kid, she would never hold it against you. You tried to help her. Without you, we wouldn’t have known until weeks after. Let me say, personally, I did not expect a recently turned nine-year-old to fight with a level head. You proved something to yourself that day. I want you to know that even though she may be gone, she would be proud of your actions.”

Ray shrugged, he certainly didn’t feel that way. He felt like he should have been able to do more. The child wanted to never feel that helpless again. Ever since he found his Semblance and was saved by her, he felt like he owed her. Ray owed his life to her and now he owes it to the other two. While he tries to distance himself from the two, they won’t let him, Ruby especially. What he wants to do was escape the memories. ‘Those actions got her killed… I was the one responsible,’ Ray signed to Qrow, staring right at the gravestone.

“You know as well as I do, that she would never hold you responsible. Huntsmen and Huntress are not invincible. In our line of work, our life expectancies are short, and while we all have a timer, hers was unexpectedly shortened. Ray,” this got the child’s attention knowing that Qrow normally never calls them by their actual names, he was more of the nicknames kind of person, “know that the life of a Huntsman or Huntress is not an easy one. We could go for a simple mission and lose our lives. That’s the risk we take, for the people, for _all_ of Remnant.” Ray nodded at the words. While they sounded morbid, they were oddly comforting. “Good, now that is about all the fancy words I can give you at the moment.” A small sigh escaped the Huntsman, “I need a drink.” With that, Qrow stood up and slowly walked away, leaving the child alone again.

Said child was now staring right at the gravestone and before he felt remorse, now he felt more of his respect going out to the fallen Huntress. While the remorse was still there, along with his guilt, it wasn’t as overpowering as it was previously; in fact, he felt sort of relieved. Ray didn’t have to do anything, but he did feel like he owed her more than just his time, he owed her everything. She didn’t have to save him in Forever Fall, she didn’t have to take him in, she didn’t have to introduce him to her family, but she did. She gave him everything, and he tried to give everything in return, but it wasn’t enough.

Still, he tried. He tried to be there, but it really didn’t help when she looked so much like her. It was honestly scary in that regard, but she acts like her own person. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that once again, that his thoughts went to Ruby. Ruby, the bubbly little brunette with red accented tips on her hair. The little cookie monster. Ray felt his sibling bond with her the most, and maybe for another reason. He never got the chance to ask her questions about his eyes, given his disability. That, and it felt really awkward to bring it up.

Wiping his eyes free of tears, Ray pulled a picture out of his pocket and saw it still had them both in it. Both Ruby and Summer. Ruby was on Ray’s back, arms around his neck, and she was smiling with glee, clinging to her brother. The other child was Yang Xiao Long, the blonde-haired, lilac-eyed girl. She was leaning on him, poking him in the side, which got him to smile for the picture, her smile was just as bright. Summer was in the background, looking right at her three children with the most love-filled expression he’s ever seen. Taiyang Xiao Long, Yang’s father, was the one who took the picture a few weeks after Ray was adopted into the Rose-Xiao Long family. It was a celebration of sorts. When he was adopted, he opted to keep his last name, O’Conner, his original one, but he did add Rose-Xiao Long in there as well.

His full name was Ray Frederick Rose-Xiao Long O’Connor. A mouthful to be sure, but he keeps it short to Ray Frederick O’Connor, for simplicity’s sake. That so he doesn’t feel like he was intruding on them. While his silent doubt was there, there was a time that Summer just _knew_ what was going on with him. She eased his nerves more times than he thought possible.

While Ray is one of the family, he outright doesn’t feel like he deserves the name ‘Rose-Xiao Long’. He took it as a middle/last name, and he isn’t embarrassed to have the name of a flower, but there was more to it than that. The boy silently sighed as he thought about heading back to the cabin, but he suddenly felt relief, just mulling over Qrow’s words. While the man may have been their teammate, he wasn’t his biological uncle, obviously; but the man was like an uncle as such. Oddly comforting and amusing, now that he thought about it further.

Ray took one last look at the picture before putting said item back into his pocket, he stood up to go back to the cabin. Ruby was most likely worried about him and Yang would punch him for making Ruby worry. Ruby was sort of attached to him in the sibling sense. Yang was more of a mother to Ruby now ever since it happened. Partially his fault as well, but that’s for another time, and for another day. Ray slowly backed up, as to not want to turn on her until she was out of sight, a sign of respect. “Hey, Ray! Where are you?” the sound of Ruby’s little voice reached his ears. _Don’t worry about her Summer, I’ll do my best, for you._ The boy watched as a single white rose petal fell right onto the gravestone, drawing the boy’s silver eyes right to the inscription:

_Summer Rose_

_Thus kindly I scatter_

* * *

  
  


At the Vale local library, located on the outskirts of the main city, there was a young boy organizing the books on the shelf that had just been tipped over. It must have been pretty silent for him to not have noticed, then again, he has enhanced vision, not enhanced hearing, but still. The position of the shelf was a sight to behold. It looked like it was trying to twist on itself but somehow stayed together, “How was this even possible?” A Faunus child said to himself as he saw a small shelf of books being toppled over. The culprit was nowhere to be seen. So naturally, the kid picked up the shelf and moved it back into its original position. The shelf was a little heavy, but light enough to be put back into place. Then, he started to pick up the books and organized them.

“Nick? What was- oh,” Mrs. Wynn said, thoroughly surprised when she rounded the corner. There were books everywhere, the top three shelves were a mess, but it wouldn’t take Nick long to put it all back. In the low light, he could see almost perfectly. Nick snapped out of his stupor, flinching, as he didn’t expect her to be right there so soon.

Composing himself, “Afternoon, Mrs. Wynn. Apparently, this bookshelf fell and I don’t actually know what happened. I’ll probably be putting the books away for a while, but if you need my help, give me a shout,” he whispered. They _were_ in a library after all. While he was internally freaking out, just waiting for it. He knows that she wouldn’t strike him, but the fear remained even after all this time with her.

Mrs. Wynn lightly sighed, seeing him flinch, but told him to pick it up at his own pace before heading off to the front desk, now knowing that no one was injured. Nick sighed in relief as he began putting the books back from the top shelf going down. None of the book’s titles made any sense, even though he has read all of them at least once, but this _was_ the Huntsmen and Huntresses section of the library, where all the legends were. Having said that he has read them, he made his decision to be a Huntsman. 

While he made the decision to be a Hunstman, he had to train. Since he’s already unlocked his Aura and Semblance, thanks to the training he did in his spare time, which was a lot when it comes down to the amount of free time he had outside the library. Much to his relief, he thankfully kept his abilities hidden, it was with no doubt in his mind that he would train to become a Huntsman, to show the world that not every Faunus was bad. Sure it seemed like an impossible task, but it was something Nick was up to the challenge for.

Just as Nick stacked the last book, the entrance bell to the library rang. He heard Mrs. Wynn answer before she quite literally yelled, “Nick, could you come up here please?” Flinching from the sheer loudness of her voice, he reluctantly went up to the front.

As he was running by, he gained the looks from a few patrons who were reading, probably upset that their ‘peace’ was disturbed. Once he made it up front, he was surprised who was staring back at him. “Ray?!”

Mrs. Wynn raised an eyebrow, “You know him?”

Nick froze, “Uhm, we met when I tried to uh-” Mrs. Wynn nodded, knowing that portion of his past. Ray looked just as shocked as he stared back at the boy he saved off the street. The silver-eyed boy smiled back at him, it was a small smile, but it did not reach his eyes. Let’s add on to the fact it was pouring outside and he was drenched. Mrs. Wynn got up from her desk and went to grab a towel for the boy to dry off.

Nick’s attention shifted solely to Ray, “What brings you here?” Ray brought his hand over his throat, rubbing something. In the low light, Nick could barely make it out. A scar across his throat. It made him incredibly worried, “What did you do? W-What happened?” Nick noticed that Ray looked less for wear. His eyes were puffy and red, indicating he was crying not long ago. “I spent years looking for you. Where have you been?” To Ray, he sounded hurt and while he could very well be justified it still didn’t stop him from walking up to him and hugging him. His first friend, under certain circumstances, was someone he could always be there for if they actually allowed him to. Nick didn’t care if he got wet, he was a Faunus that was cold-blooded in nature, so it didn’t affect him _as_ much.

Ray shrugged, returning the embrace then pulled out his scroll. After a few moments of silence, a voice spoke, one that wasn’t his own but the scroll’s, “One day, I’ll answer that, but first, do you have any books on alternate languages?”

Nick nodded, but asked, “Like foreign languages or the variety of a disability?” Ray nodded and held up two fingers, representing option two. Nick nodded, wanting to push the subject but he knows better than to pry, “I know we do, but you need to answer at least this.” Ray just looked right at him and motioned him to continue. “What do you plan on doing now?”

A moment of silence passed, as the ticking of Ray’s fingers on his scroll was typing out his reply, “Rekindling our friendship for one if you’ll let me, but also because I need you to learn how to speak sign language.”

“Atleasian Sign Language?” Nick paused before seeing Ray nod. In response, he grabbed Ray’s wrist and dragged him to an area of the library that had a ton of books on this language. It was a recently new ‘language’, barely a couple of centuries old, so a lot of books were published at this time. It pales in comparison to the number of books on the Valen language, since being established millennia ago, but it does come down to say that Ray won’t want to speak with a scroll his entire life. However, when he brought him to the section of books and pulled the beginner’s guide off the shelf and handed it to Nick. “Wha… Oh, you want me to learn the language?”

Ray nodded and opened the book for him, ‘So, you can do this without a problem.’ The translation went right over his head, but Nick got the idea.

“Well, you are the teacher, but who did you learn it from?” Nick had to ask, after not being able to see his friend for a few months.

Instead of replying, Ray tapped the table rapidly. Lots of quick taps and some slightly less rapid taps. While it went over the Cobra Faunus’ head, it was clear to Ray, ‘{Someone Special.}’

Mrs. Wynn returned with the towel and handed it to the boy, who dried off his arms, legs and hair. She also tapped the table, having heard it as she approached, ‘{Bless Her.}’

* * *

“Isn’t this fun?” a father asked his daughter, who was covered in grass stains, dirt stains, and some bruises. Her father was in all that, but significantly less. Then again, he is a Huntsman, so his Aura is much stronger. They were sparring for fun before he went on a mission. She lost, of course, but she did significantly better than the last time. Her arm was covering her eyes, breathing heavily on the grass in the backyard, sweating profusely. The summer weather of Vale did not help her case. On the bright side, it was not as humid as the weatherman predicted.

“It isn’t when I can feel the bruises all over my body, Dad,” a girl removed her arm from her eyes to reveal a mixture of light and dark grey eyes with a hint of charcoal. Yet, the smile on her face suggests she’s downplaying her pain. That is something she’s working on, her pain tolerance. If she wants to be a Huntress, she needs to learn to absorb and deflect pain. Not showing a weakness means she can outplay and outmaneuver her opponents.

“Well, that’s what you get for trying to spar with me,” her father said smugly. “Come on, Gracie, get up.” Her father pulled her up to stand and she felt just a little woozy from being jostled around so much in the past fifteen minutes.

“Dad, did you have to amp it up that much today? I swear, without my Aura, I would have been bedridden, or in the hospital at worse, but one day, I’ll beat you and I will get your challenge done! Mark my words!” Grace declared before hobbling towards the house and her mother just embraced her, not caring her daughter was sweaty. The shower exists for a reason.

“Sweetie,” Her mother whispered into her ear, “don’t push yourself so hard. You will beat his challenge. Plus, it will be fun to see your father get his ego checked, but don’t tell him I said that.” Grace giggled in response.

“I’m going to clean up and then I’ll be down for dinner, okay?” she asked her mom. The sweetest mother of all. Always caring and after her mother’s depression, she would do anything to make her happy. Her mother tried to have another child, a sibling for Grace, but she found out that after Grace had been born, there was a complication that caused permanent damage to her mother’s womb. Meaning no children, and so her mother smothers her in affection.

“Don’t take forever, Gracie. I made your favorite!” she called to her daughter who retreated up the stairs. There were times that Grace felt so guilty, but both her parents told her that it was not her fault. Grace mentioned trying to adopt if they wanted another child, and while their parents were thinking about it. It wouldn’t matter who the child was, Grace would love them all the same. While the young girl was okay with whatever her parents chose, they decided that they would build a second room just in case they ever change their minds. Grace passed by the room and just sighed, lost in thought while she got into the shower and let the water run down her body. 

Her shower didn’t take long, so there was nothing more she could do besides getting dressed. She literally just threw the first pieces of clothing she could find, not caring if it didn’t match, no one else was going to see her anyway. As she made it downstairs for dinner, her father had some great news for her. “So Grace, I know you want to be a Huntress and I know how much you want to go to Beacon, and sometimes the job gets lonely,” her mother was hiding her smirk behind her glass, “how would you like to come to Mistral with me for a quick mission, just to give you a taste of what Huntsmen life is all about?”

Grace’s eyes widened to sizes that most animals would be jealous of, “You’re serious?! You’d let me accompany you to Mistral? On a mission?”

Her father chuckled, “It’s just a simple escort mission. The people I will be going with have some training as well, but they want a Huntsman to help with the escorting process. It’s all within the city. I also know you’ve been practicing the evasion tactics I’ve been teaching you. Your mother knows I will do my absolute best to keep you safe, and you aren’t exactly defenseless either. You know your way around weaponry, so how about it, Gracie?”

“One thousand times yes!” Grace shouted, before her mother playfully shushed her. “Sorry, got excited,” she said in a small voice. _I get to go on a mission!_

“Great, we leave tomorrow,” her father informed her. “So make sure that you get plenty of rest, the boat departs at seven AM.”

“Alright, so what should I pack?” Grace asked her father, taking a scoop of her Mom’s spaghetti and dumping it on her plate.

“The essentials. A change of clothes, shower supplies, and some rations. That is what you should always carry on you, no matter where you go. You never know when you could get cut off from society and have to live off the land for a few days,” her father said, getting a far off look in his eyes. The man’s face was set into a smirk.

“Note to self, then,” Grace hummed.

* * *

A young Mistralian girl did not want to attend this fancy party her parents have decided to host. It would only serve to grate on her nerves. To be frank, she never liked these galas. They showed nothing but being the most powerful person in the room. As soon as it was over, she was making headway to Vale, an express flight or whatever got her there the fastest. Then she’ll see if her family actually cares about their daughter. She won’t be surprised if they don’t even bother. It comes with being the hidden child of the most successful family in Anima.

“Ms. Rowe, your parents-” her personal maid, Marie, started to speak but was cut off. She was slightly older than Tera but young enough to be her older sister. She has been her favorite person to be around. So, not many people make that list.

“Please don’t lecture me about them. I hear enough about being proper all the time, and you get the exclusivity of seeing me not being this prim, proper girl that they want me to be. I refuse to be held to those standards. Plus, I’m decent, you just might find it a little skimpy,” Tera commented, heading to her closet to find the dress that she picked out. She didn’t like the long dresses that she had to wear. She much preferred the shorter skirts and shorter sleeves. Longer dresses are much too constricting.

“Your dress-” the aforementioned dress was still on the rack. It was more of a floral dress, and it only showed how _puffy_ it was. It looked like someone strapped a tutu or a hula hoop to it and then extended it down. It was _that_ kind of dress. 

Tera sighed, mostly fed up with the _parents_ who think that whatever they pick is best for them, “I know they won’t approve, and I honestly have had enough of their nonsense. At least I look pretty. Marie, you can look you know? I _am_ dressed now.”

The maid/servant uncovered her eyes and well, she couldn’t deny she looked much better in that dress than the one that was picked out for her. It suited the young girl’s personality. “Well, you were right.”

“Of course I’m right, I know my fashion style, you know my fashion style, my _parents_ don’t. That is why I’m going to slightly regret my actions in a few hours,” Tera sighed in remorse.

“Ms., what do you plan on doing?”

“Plan G.” _The plan to get me out of here._

Out of everything that made Tera nervous was the walk to the ballroom. At first, when she was younger, she thought it was a room full of balls. Like bouncy balls. She was wrong and well, sometimes the staff tease her about it, in good nature of course. However, she was informed that the room was meant for parties like these. Tera did not like being in the same room with most of her family because of her choice. Arriving at the ballroom, The room itself was huge, even when it was empty, but after walking through it with all the guests, it still felt empty.

The ballroom of the Rowe Mansion was packed full of businessmen and women, politicians, and even professors from the various combat schools from around Remnant. Tera was nervous on her entrance, but she kept her head high. Most of the attendees didn’t know who she was yet. _Thank Oum for that._ The only ones who did weren’t the most pleasant, and they happened to be the ‘closest’ to her. Should she want to, she could go away, but her _family_ would be upset with her and treat her worse than they already do. They weren’t physically abusive, but emotionally so, ever since her choice.

Tera’s father, Mr. Zhao Rowe, CEO of Rowe Blacksmithing invited the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, Jacques Schnee, to the ball. Much to the young Rowe’s surprise, he was _actually_ here along with one of his daughters, Weiss Schnee, the second heiress to the company. Everyone in Remnant knew that the first Heiress had a falling out with her father and went to the military. The Schnee Dust Company is located on the Continent, Solitas, specifically Atlas. There was only one word that could describe it now. Monopoly. Even though the press releases about Faunus workers were released, they were all business filibuster. They did not actually mean anything. 

There were a lot of things wrong with the SCD and RBC. The only good thing going for the RBC was the fact that her brother Tobias was the Heir, not her, she didn’t want the title anyway. However, what no one knew was how much Tera related to Weiss in certain circumstances. It was almost uncanny. Both a part of a large Remnant-wide company. Both have parents who only see them as assets, not children, and to top it all off, they can relate to each other on one specific issue.

The reason for Jacques Schnee being in attendance was the fact that Zhao had brokered a deal with the SDC. Tera’s intuition was telling her that the final details were being forged; while the actual details of the deal are unknown to the young girl. It may be a deal that benefits them both in the short and long run.

While idling along the dance floor, Tera finally noticed her father. The man was dressed in Mistralian formal wear, which was actually a nice black blazer and matching pants, embroidered in gold with the RBC symbol. Her father beckoned Tera over with the wave of his hand, and while he was maintaining the appropriate amount of professionalism, Tera could see the frown etched into her father’s features, not that she cared. He only cared about his son, wife, and business. The word ‘daughter’ was nowhere in that man’s dictionary. “This is my wonderful daughter, Tera.”

Jacques Schnee looked over Tera with veiled surprise, “I was unaware you had a daughter.” Tera had to resist rolling her eyes. She also had to resit when she saw his mustache… dance? Odd, but she didn’t comment on it. 

“She’s my precious gem, one I’ve kept hidden for all these years,” all Tera heard was word vomit. The words were true, she was hidden from the world. If she went out, then it was in disguise. Drifting off, she almost broke her composure, but she kept her proper posture. If anything, it was forced, unlike what Weiss’ was, who was standing right beside Jacques. It seemed natural to her.

All the meanwhile, Weiss was scanning up and down Tera’s outfit. The outfit was a knee-length dress that intricate details of flowers, a rosegold color. Tera was also sure that a blush coated the Heiress’ pale cheeks. Tera internally raised an eyebrow but said nothing else, and let the two businessmen do what they do best: Business.

Tera stepped closer to Weiss, “Ms. Schnee, may I offer you a drink?” While she was a guest, she would treat her like one. It would be rude for her to not offer her a drink. Plus, she wanted to get away from her ‘father’.

Weiss’ pale blue eyes widened, “Oh, um, of course, Ms. Rowe.” However, at the slip-up, she could see Jacques’ eyes narrow at his daughter. The Atlesian accent was a sharp contrast to Mistral’s more firm accent. Atleasians were smooth, but some words and phrases were accented. Mistralian accents were almost always strong, accents on every word. So much so, it could be mistaken for shouting.

With that, Tera waved a hand and led Weiss over to the refreshments table, where she poured a glass of punch, non-alcoholic, of course for the Heiress and herself. Once both of them possessed a glass, they both drank in silence. More people seemed to finally notice Tera’s presence and were not so subtly looking at her.

“Has no one really noticed you after all these years?” Weiss’ question shook Tera out of her stupor. Tera looked at Weiss, seeing her snow-white hair, pale blue eyes, and fancy dress, and just seeing that she didn’t look particularly happy. 

A nervous chuckle escaped the girl, “Not really, no. I have been shunned by my family for years, surprisingly enough, I have not been disowned…” Thoughts of her being on her own made her smile slightly, but quickly composed herself, “May I be honest with you, Weiss?” the snow-haired girl only nodded in response. “I’d like to keep it that way. I want to be a Huntress, however, when I told my parents that… they shut me out.”

“At least you got off easy,” Weiss muttered.

“Do tell,” Tera desperately wanted to know, not out of rudeness, but curiosity. Tera would much rather have this conversation in private, away from the eyes of everyone in this ballroom. They were beginning to unnerve her with their constant stares. Especially some of the younger men who were eyeing her like she was the rarest delicacy on the face of Remnant. _Gross._

“Every move I make is closely monitored and watched. I don’t like it. I actually envy you, Tera,” Weiss stated with conviction, which shocked the young Mistralian.

“Really? Envious of me?” Tera asked, eyebrow raised. “I’m actually envious of you, truth be told. I would much rather have a spotlight on me than not at all. Not having one after all these years, to suddenly having them on me does not make me feel better.”

“Trust me, you don’t after a while,” the heiress’ fingers were nervously tapping her cup, unnoticed by everyone else. “My room is the only true private place and sometimes, it isn’t enough,” she whispered just barely audible. Tera had to strain her hearing for that.

“Maybe we could pull a Parent Trap, it would be fun, wouldn’t it?” Tera teased dryly, not expecting a reaction.

“We look nothing alike,” Weiss deadpanned. Well, at least the Heiress understood the reference. However, Tera was expecting at least a chuckle, but she did see a small twitch of the heiress’ lips go upward.

“Worth a shot,” Tera grumbled to herself before looking at a plant on the refreshment table. She put one finger on the flower and it sprouted to life and wrapped around her finger, before looking up at her. Tera sighed wistfully, “Sometimes, I wish I was born into a more accepting family.”

Weiss turned and took notice of the very much alive plant on Tera’s hand. “Your Semblance?”

Tera clicked her tongue, “Yep. I found it a few days ago while meditating. That, and I had an emotional break. Pretty nice, right?”

“At least yours is unique. Everyone knows that we Schnees have Glyphs,” Weiss almost sounded disappointed, but there was a hint of pride in her voice. Said Glyph appeared in her hand, the Schnee family crest woven within. 

“At least yours would be more accepting here than mine. I apologize…” Tera stopped, but the stares were becoming too much. Maybe she wasn’t ready for the spotlight. “I… it was very pleasant to meet you. I just need some time…” Tera left the room, taking the flower with her as it nuzzled into her hand, drawing a smile to Tera’s face.

Soon after Tera left, Jacques pulled Weiss aside and they left without another word. Maybe Tera will see her again, and right now, she just wanted to disappear. The only good thing about tonight was that the gala continued as normal, but a part of Tera felt disappointed. She was kind of hoping to see someone else, but she was on the way back to Vale, probably.

Tera made it to her room without anyone bothering her and she planned to leave for Vale tonight. Right now, all she wanted was to have a sense of purpose. The flower flowed over her hands with ease, the smell of it drifting into her nose. Her door was shut, so no one could see her. Tera decided that enough was enough and shot a message to her friend. _‘Are you still in Mistral?’_

The response was quick, _‘Yeah. We’re leaving in about an hour, why?’_

 _‘I’m coming with you.’_ With that, Tera pulled out the bags she had stored for this occasion. With relative ease, she snuck out and fled the manor rushing towards the harbor. If anything, that is where her friend would be. Thankfully, she had the foresight to ask if they got her by sea or air. They were taking a boat, and it was the fastest boat, making it across the ocean to Sanus in two days’ time. Everything was falling into place. Everything was finally going the way Tera wanted them too. She finally had a purpose it felt like. Everything was going to change. Something inside told her that this was the right thing to do.

She finally felt like she was in control and that she was being thrusted into the spotlight that she always wanted. However, she was reconsidering by taking it slow, but if her family actually cares about her, then there would be missing posters around within the next few hours. If not, then they would consider her dead. Fine by her.

After all, she went with Plan G.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exposition enough? Not to worry, more to come. Also, a nice RT/AH reference. That's a throwback, Minecraft Let's Play #3.
> 
> More set up, and I'm looking forward to what I have planned. I'm super excited to get this started.
> 
> The only unfortunate thing I have to deal with is what I'm calling, 'the set-up arc.' Like the name implies, I have things to set up and words to write, but then again...
> 
> Till next time.


	3. Half and Half

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I am not dead, but my friend is taking his time proofreading. Then again, we both enjoy video games, so.... yeah.

Today was a new day in the Kingdom of Vale, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, at least, that’s what every day should be like. Not to say that the Kingdom was in shambles, no, it was sunny, but there were a few clouds in the ports. It was supposed to be a clear day, but the weather likes to change constantly.

Speaking of ports, a large jet boat arrived at Vale’s central port and two children and an adult came off the boat, along with many others who arrived from Mistral. The adult had a weapon strapped to his back, while the two children flanked his sides. One of the children yawned, even though they slept most of the way. It was actually quite a trip to go from Mistral to Vale. Before the Mistral girl fell asleep, she asked about the mission that they were on. In all basic terms, it was boring and nothing happened, save for the one Nevermore that decided to pick a fight with the caravan. Grace did see her father shoot it out of the air though, with a fantastic flourish might she add. All in all, it was a simple and quick mission, but her father reminded her that not every mission will be that simple.

The girls were engaged in the conversation and one of them said something that made the Huntsman laugh, “Girls, that’s funny.” However, he had to be the mood killer, as there was a serious situation at hand, “Now tell me, Ms. Rowe. Why did you insist on coming to Vale? That, and since when did they have a daughter?” Obviously any sane person has heard of the Rowe Blacksmithing Company, just like the Schnee Dust Company is known and the man already knew about the three Schnee children and the _one_ child from the Rowe family. However, the resemblance from her to the man that runs the RBC is too hard to deny. She _looks_ like one of the man’s children. She even brought her birth certificate with her and with the man’s actual signature on it. With solid evidence like that… not much more needed to be said.

“Dad!” the child with charcoal eyes said, mostly offended that he would ask that personal of a question. “You can’t just ask that! Maybe she doesn’t want to tell us yet, and we should respect that.”

The father turned to his daughter, with not a stern expression, but an easygoing one, “Grace, I can when she showed up last minute. Which I don’t _have_ a problem with, but it could be if they report her missing.”

“Sir, it’s no trouble, _and I highly doubt it,_ ” the girl’s Mistralian accent was much more pronounced in Vale, even in Basic. “I wouldn’t expect everyone to know who I am. My parents never showed me much affection or respect since I was seven or eight. I want to be a Huntress, they didn’t agree, so over the past few years, I’ve been plotting on getting out. When you showed up, I saw my opportunity, and I took it.”

 _Smart,_ the father thought as he turned to the girl wearing brown baggy pants, and a ripped t-shirt that exposed her stomach, keeping her modesty intact. She had changed out of it from that dress. “Markings of a Huntress, you. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

Tera wrung her hands together, seemingly nervous, “Would it be too much trouble to point me to a bank? I have set up an account here at the National Bank. I’ve been siphoning funds from my ‘allowance’ so that I would be all set in the event I had to leave Mistral,” the girl said, not making eye contact with the man.

“You said your name was Tera, correct?” the first girl’s father asked.

“It is, sir,” the formal ways of Mistral still with her, albeit less than let’s say Atlas, but they exist. Sometimes they come into play when she’s nervous, or being pressed for information. Fortunately, it was the former over the latter. 

“Well, Tera, we can visit a bank in a day or so. The reason why is while you were sleeping on the boat, for the first leg of the journey anyway, Grace here decided she wanted an ‘indefinite sleepover’. Before you ask, no, I’m not going to charge a thirteen-year-old rent, that would be cruel and no, you don’t owe us anything. We’ve always had a little money set aside in case we ever wanted another child along with another room, but there was a complication.” Grace’s father said, musing. Only his daughter could catch the saddened and crestfallen expression in his eyes.

Grace remembered her mother’s depression after she found out. She can see the heartbreak in his eyes but kept his composure; It was heartbreaking for her mother to go through that. Still, Grace took the opportunity. Sure they don’t know each other well, but that doesn’t mean that she can try. “What he means is that he has a spare room in our house that you can reside in.”

“Perfect, that means I can show you some embarrassing stories and baby pictures,” her dad said nonchalantly. This caused Grace’s cheeks to flush, her jaw to drop, and her words to stutter, “D-Dad, you’re e-embarrassing me!”

Tera found the conversation to be so enlightening, perfect for her mood that it resulted in her laughing, arms over her stomach, and stumbling. “That’s so… awesome! However, that will not be necessary, just the offer is more than enough for now.” Once she wiped the tears from her eyes, Tera took a deep breath, “I haven’t laughed like that in years. Now all I need is a bass clarinet and I can make some noise.”

“Wait, you play the sax?” Grace exclaimed, her eyes lighting up, almost forgetting the embarrassing comment from her father.

“Bass clarinet preferably over the sax but, yeah. I even have a program that plays filler instruments based on what you play. It picks up what song or melody you are trying to play and matches you. Pretty nice, one of Atlas’ best designed it, and my family got it for ‘testing’. Why it made it to my family, I wouldn’t know.” Tera said, looking over to Grace. “Why, you play?”

“No, I don’t, but I do love me some good jazz music,” Grace said wistfully, her eyes gleaming slightly.

“You are lucky that I specialize in jazz, are there any good music stores in Vale?” Tera asked Grace’s father. “I had to leave my good bass clarinet back in Mistral. It would have been too big to try and transport here.”

The father just chuckled, “There are a few around here, but not close from where we currently are. We’ll swing around them another time. Come on, you two. The missus is waiting, and it is pasta tonight, your grandmother’s recipe.”

In Grace’s excitement, she dropped her Basic accent and fell back to her Valen accent and Language, “La ricetta della nonna? Dobbiamo andare!”

“Sì, piccola Gracie, Nana verrà per una rapida visita domani,” said Grace’s father. “She misses you.”

Grace turned back to Tera, “You’ll love my grandma, she’s like the best. She treats everyone like her own children. She just makes you feel so loved!” she gushed to the Mistralian girl. 

Tera just smiled and shook her head, barely understanding the Valen language and accent. It was a sharp contrast to her own Mistralian one. While Mistral’s sounded sharp, and to the point, Vale’s was smooth, elegant, and a tad bit calming. This made Tera’s chest flutter, it felt more like family with the way they talked so freely.

“So, what’s the plan now?” Tera asked, not really wanting to but in, but she doesn’t fully grasp the Valen language, and when they start talking fast, it becomes a blur with no chance of catching up.

“Ahh, sorry, I get excited and start spouting off in Valen. We’re going back to our house,” Grace clasped her hands together, walking backward, looking right at Tera. “And you’re going to be the indefinite guest. Should you choose to stay, the room could be converted into your liking, a slice of Mistral, you could say.”

Tera’s eyes lit up at the prospect, “So you’re saying that I could design the room?”

Grace scoffed, “Of course you can, as long as you don’t ask for the room to be physically bigger. And you can only design the room, should you choose to stay.” This was a term that could not be negotiated. 

“Can I think about it?” Tera asked, more nervous than before.

“Of course, this isn’t meant to pressure you but to merely give you an option. You are allowed to do whatever after a couple days, go see the City, find a new place, etcetera. It should be enough time to decide, but if it isn’t, then you’re welcome to stay longer until you decide.” 

Tera smiled a _genuine_ smile, for the first time in six years, “Thank you, Grace. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

* * *

Nick was worried, and rightfully so. Once Ray walked into the library, he saw a lot more than he ever thought he would see. It was a lot more subtle, but Nick noticed the faint scar across Ray’s throat. It stretched to both sides of his neck, but you had to look closely for it. Faunus who looks at it will see it clearly, like Nick. While he wants to know the origin of it, he can come to one conclusion: He’s mute, and not by choice it seems. That and well… he asked for a book on sign language and Morse code. Kind of a dead ringer.

That was two years ago, both of them are now twelve going on thirteen in a few months. Turns out, their birthdays are within days of each other, almost exactly on the times too. (Like both of them have a birthday and they were born at 4:36 PM, for example). Now, Ray and Nick were mostly fluent in sign language and fairly capable in Morse code, Ray more so in both the former and latter. It wouldn’t bother Nick if Ray passed him. He obviously still needed to speak, so he took it further. It was funny though, one request that the Cobra Faunus had was to learn the swear words in sign language. Ray laughed silently before telling him to go eff himself in jest. How small was the world, to see the kid that Nick met on the street when he was eight.

Both of them have taken the time to strengthen their Auras through training and sparring. They both wanted to be Huntsmen graduating from Beacon, but first, they had to go to Signal, a combat school on the island of Patch, about two miles off the coast of Vale. Ray knows a teacher or two there, but sooner or later, he would have to go back home, they surely do miss him. He’s been out of the house every day since he came to the library. Nick offered to get Ray a library card, but he declined. He mentioned that there was a certain ‘excited brunette’ who would bother him continuously, distracting him from his important work. Learning to speak _does_ take time and effort. 

So far, in their training, Ray and Nick are about even when it comes to sparring. They constantly test the limits of their Semblances. Nick’s Semblance is Manipulation of Velocity, where he can put a metaphysical weight on his target, making them move slower in the same time frame. He can also make himself move faster than normal, but he cannot keep up with someone who has a speed semblance. He would need to actually have sight of them for more than a glance. Compared to Ray’s, they are polar opposites, but they find that they can possibly work together. Semblances also have a chance of not evolving but allows for an improvement of what is already there.

Ray’s Blink Shot has been able to cover even more ground than before, he can now comfortably make rapid teleports that ‘phase’ his body out of existence like a mirage that wavers on being real or not. It has gotten him out of a jam when sparring, but the consequence is that it burns through his Aura much faster than normal, almost like gas-leaking in a car kind of fast; it will mostly be used as a last-ditch effort. Ray was working on building up a tolerance, and it would take time to do so.

When Ray came into the library that day two years ago, there were so many things Nick wanted to say to Ray, so many things that thinking back on it, they were hurtful things. Many of them slandering humans. Nick cringes when he remembers what he was going to say, but back then it was immediately taken over by concern. Concern for the friend he thought he lost.

Currently, the two of them were sitting at the back table reading books with a single lamp separating them. Well, one of them was. Nick was reading about some of the Huntsmen legends because something was off. Ray, however, was reading about combat schools. He wanted to be a Huntsman, just like her. Signal Academy was the combat school to be at if one wanted to attend Beacon. From there, they would be able to forge their weapons. Both boys have ideas about their designs, but nothing took properly and it would come to them when they needed to forge them. Still, having an idea for them could provide inspiration down the road.

Nick went to the legend of the Silver-eyed warriors. The legend was something about how one of these fighters could strike down the creatures of Grimm with a single look, at least according to the legend. It even says that the Grimm fear them. No one has seen them in action in years, and those that have keep it secret. Nick looked up when Ray waved at him. ‘Whatcha reading?’ the boy signed.

“A legend, and it’sss about-” Nick paused, looking right into Ray’s eyes, which expressed confusion as the Faunus trailed off. They were _silver_. The Cobra Faunus slid the book right to Ray, “Read.”

Ray’s eyes skimmed over the story before his eyes widened. _Now I see what Tai was talking about when saying about three silver-eyed people._ They are rare to see and no one has seen a silver-eyed warrior since… five years ago. There were rumors about people seeing a Silver-eyed person in action, but they were false. Ray, however, was the exception.

_It all happened so fast, there was Grimm, and then a flash of bright light. Then nothing._

Ray suppressed a shiver. Ever since that day, it’s all been downhill. ‘Well, that is something. I would show Ruby, but I think it would be best that she does not ever see this until the proper time.’

“You know, you mention Ruby, but when am I ever going to meet her?” Nick asked, smirking.

‘She is basically my little sister, but she also has these eyes, along with her mother, but she is... ‘ Ray stopped that was not his place to say things about her. Thankfully, Nick caught on to his discomfort.

“Hey,” Nick tapped the silver-eyed boy’s arm, “you zoned out. I can see that this is a sensitive topic, so I’ll drop it, but hopefully, you’ll be able to give me bits and pieces over the years. I will not pressure you.”

Ray sighed in relief and signed, ‘Thank you, Nick.’ Ray looked at the clock on the far wall, ‘I still have time for dinner, they usually do not expect me home by nine. Do you know a good place for food?’

“Well, there is this Mistralian place I’ve been wanting to try for a while. Meals usually run you about fifteen Lien,” Nick mused aloud, his voice still at a whisper.

Ray nodded, closed his sign language book, and slid the _Huntsmen Legends_ one back to Nick. Then, Ray stood and went to put his book properly on the shelf. Nick, however, flicked the book back open and was reabsorbed into the silver-eyed legend again. If he was being honest, he really wanted to see one of these people in action. It would be so cool to see, but then again, it is supposed to be blinding, well according to the book. A small tap to the shoulder made him flinch before literally jumping out of the seat, thankfully not knocking the object over. Nick looked at the person responsible and saw it was Ray, who had remorse in his eyes, ‘Sorry, I forgot about not sneaking up on you. I would have spoken but…’

“Sssign no more, just remember that it will take me time to not flinch at every surprise,” Nick lightly chided. Ray genuinely felt bad about it. Nick had mentioned that as a child, he was abused by his parents. Ray didn’t ask where his parents were, as Nick showed the same respect. The Cobra Faunus does know that Ray lives on the island of Patch but commutes to Vale every day to see Nick. Ray knows Nick lives here above the library.

‘Come on, you need to lead the way, I do not know this section of Vale as well as you do,’ Ray said, heading to the exit of the library. Ironic because Ray comes to the library often. One would think that he would know it by now. This Mistralian place sounded good and Ray’s stomach grumbled just thinking about it. It would be quite nice to not have noodles every other day of the week. _Cannot deny that they are amazing though._

“Yeah, yeah. Just let me get my stuff, so that way you don’t have to pay for me,” Nick said, as he watched Ray shrug.

A few moments later, the Faunus boy and the Human boy left the library, each waving to Mrs. Wynn. They told her, well, Nick told her that they shouldn’t be more than an hour or so. The door shut and Ray shivered slightly. Ray had a habit of constantly scoping out his surroundings ever since his run-in with the Grimm and White Fang five years ago. However, that was not the reason why he shivered. On the roof of a building across the street, there were two feathers floating down to the ground. _Pfft, of course, they were watching_.

The walk to the restaurant was quick, but he knew that they were still watching. Ray put it out of his mind. Once he was alone, one of them would speak to him, or none of them would. Ray didn’t care, but he did care about his new family. Both of them accepted him and even Yang got in trouble a few times at their school because people would make fun of him for being mute. They don’t see the scar, they see a kid who cannot verbally defend himself and they descended onto him like Nevermores. He never bothered to respond, except for a few obscene gestures that went over everyone’s heads except for Yang, as she was present when he did them. Ruby was elsewhere, in another classroom at the time. A faint smile came on to Ray’s face as he recalled the memories. He sent Yang a quick message telling her he’ll be home soon, but for now, he was going to enjoy the time with his friend.

Once they arrived though, Ray didn’t pay attention to the names, but the place _Lost in Mistral Buffet_ was eloquently designed. Its warm architecture and colors made one feel like they were in Mistral, if only for a little while. It had the traditional booths and tables whilst feeling like they stepped into a brand new world. Ray managed to get some chicken covered in a ‘secret’ sauce, but it didn’t matter, it tasted amazing, along with some steam-cooked rice mixed in. Oh, it was also Faunus-owned, and the owner gets along with all of the customers, very rarely do they turn someone away. Even the humans who come here like speaking to the elderly gazelle Faunus. He absolutely adores when he sees children, says it reminds him of his children. They were currently living out in Vacuo, if the stories are to be believed.

One thing that managed to stand out was how Ray could still eat. It was probably some stupid thing he had, but when his throat was cut he didn’t eat for a time. He ended up with minor hunger pains as a result; he never attempted it again. Kind of stupid now that he thinks about it. The only time his throat hurts is either he gets a sore throat from the flu, or he tries to speak. It usually comes out as a grunt that sounds like nails on a chalkboard, pouring cement down his throat, and drowning, or a Beowolf growl. It’s that bad.

When he asked Taiyang about his surgery from years ago, he said that they had to remove tissue from the wound, and then it ended up scarring. His aura could not do much at the time. There were some other medical terms that went over the boy’s head at the time, but the faint scar on his throat displayed what happened. Still, he wonders what would happen if he could speak. However, with the people he’s around, he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

* * *

“So this is your house, Grace?” Tera asked, coming up on the moderate-sized brick house, which considering she lived in a mansion all her life, is being generous. It seemed really big for just three people. Then again, they did want a second child, from what Mr. Briggs implied. It was making her decision easier, but she would not rush into it. This was something she would have to be cautious about.

“Yes, sirree! Lived here all my life,” Grace said before her father opened the front door and her mother was standing at the door, not looking pleased. 

“Grace Ellie Briggs, why didn’t you call me when you got back into Vale?!” Grace’s skin paled, eyes wide, full attention on her mother. Tera knew that when the full name comes out, that she was in for a load of trouble.

“Mamma, non possiamo farlo adesso? Per favore?” Grace pleaded, hiding behind her father.

Her mother’s eyes, identical to Grace’s, bore into her daughter. Then they softened as they shifted to Tera. “Apologies, sweetie. Who are you?”

The question seemed hostile, but Tera knew it was anything but, “Hello, Mrs. Briggs. I am Tera Rowe,” Tera even threw in a small curtsy, as she was brought up to greet everyone-if it was the first time-that way.

“Please, call me Serena. Mrs. Briggs makes me sound old,” Mrs. Briggs turned to her husband. “Jackson, Cosa sta facendo un membro della Famiglia più ricca di Mistral alla mia porta?”

The husband sighed, shaking his head, “Lunga storia, amore mio.”

“Well then, we will have to discuss it over dinner, won’t we?” Serena said with a genuine smile on her face. “Come in come in, you must be starved after the long boat ride, correct?”

“Sì, Mamma,” Grace breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that she would not incur the wrath of her mother. That was an entirely different challenge for the young Briggs girl to tackle.

“Grace, we do need to talk,” her mother said, making her tense up. Tera, however, was stifling her giggles. At that moment, Grace’s Semblance kicked in and found that she could read her emotions, ones that Tera was outwardly projecting. It was weird that Grace could do this but with her Semblance, thanks to her dad’s training, could detect strong emotions. It was usually only one, the strongest. Two of them can be detected if they are expressed at the same levels.

The most prominent emotion that Tera was emitting is longing. Grace shook her head to clear her mind and led Tera inside. Grace still had a lot to learn about her Semblance. Granted, she only unlocked it not too long ago, so there is a lifetime for her to learn about it.

Tera was happy, but she did feel longing. Longing to be accepted by a family who would actually treat her like a daughter. Now, the hard part, putting her actual 'family’ behind her. Even she knows that this was a daunting task, but one she must endure if she wants to achieve her goals.

Once inside the Briggs household, it felt very… _Valen_ , architecture wise. The brick exterior compared to the wooden interior made it feel like a cabin in the city. This was all seen from the doorway. All of this was different from the thinner wooden walls of Mistralian architecture, which was a given considering Tera was now in Vale. That realization hadn’t hit her quite yet. The house felt very… homey. The kitchen table was a sight to behold, even with a family crest embroidered into the table, a gun’s reticle out of a sniper scope, with the last name under it. Fitting for a Huntsman’s family. The living room, visible from the kitchen has well-tailored, imported Vacuo couches. They manage to get a lot of furs out there, even in the desert. Still, their rules out there are much too barbaric, compared to let’s say, Atlas.

Tera was just following along, lingering in the threshold of the door and the rest of the place. when Grace turned around, “How silly of me, Tera, I gotta show you around the house,” Grace said, grabbing Tera’s hand, making the latter tense. Grace immediately let go, her ashen eyes shaped to concern. “Tera? Did anyone ever…”

Seeing where the question was going, Tera shook her head vigorously, “N-No. I just didn’t expect it,” it was a weak excuse, but it was the truth. That realization that she was in Vale was really setting in now. Tera’s breathing started to pick up, which did not go unnoticed by the slate-haired girl. The Mistrailan brunette tensed up again but quickly eased as she felt Grace’s hand intertwine with hers.

Grace’s eyes were soft as Tera made eye contact, “I apologize if this is overwhelming, but I don’t think that my father or I could leave you on the streets of Vale. We would’ve brought you home anyway. Do you need a moment alone?”

“N-No,” Tera said quietly, gripping Grace’s hand tighter, “Just don’t go.”

Grace scoffed, “Like I would leave a friend in their time of need.”

Tera seemed taken back, “I’m your friend?” The Mistrialian noble didn’t have many friends, so to have someone who she met only days ago call her a friend, it was no surprise that she was questioning it.

“Well, yeah. I would have said sister, but I think it would have been too far, you know?” Grace shrugged, breaking eye contact.

“Thank you, Grace. For being my friend,” Tera smiled, then her cheeks flushed. She realized that the parents were watching the interaction with a faint smile on their faces. There was a twinkle in their eyes like they knew something that she didn’t.

“Anytime, now, from what you can see, is this house to your liking?” the slate-haired girl asked.

Tera hmmed, dropping Grace’s hand to tap her chin in exaggerated thought, “Well, it is different, but it suits you. I like it. It’s beautiful, very proper for a Huntsman’s family.”

Grace chuckled, “At least you aren’t an Atlesian Noble who would berate me on proper etiquette and such. Then I would have said something _pretty_ nasty.”

Tera snickered, “That would have been Ms. Schnee to do that. Speaking of her, I wonder how she is faring in Atlas.” The girl’s words took a more thoughtful, sympathetic tone. Knowing the situation, somewhat, makes Tera hope that Weiss was doing well.

That sentence made Grace go wide-eyed again, even her parents did a double-take, “Wait, you met the Heiress?!” Grace was shocked. Of course, many people know _of_ her, but not many _know_ her.

“It was at the gala that I ran away from, you know?” Tera said rhetorically. “I mean from what I witnessed, she was jealous of me and I of her. Both of our reasons were completely valid, but most likely for the wrong reasons.” Tera’s tone was flat, meaning she did not want to talk about it further.

“Back to the house, what did you say?” Grace asked, her eyes shimmering from the light. She was hoping Tera would stay, she _really_ wanted a sister.

Tera thought back to the gala and then remembered a portion of her conversation with Weiss. “I do have one thing to say about it. I told her we could do the Parent Trap and see what it was like.” Grace snickered, before going into a full-on laughing spree. “She wasn’t that impressed though.”

“Another question,” Grace breathed as she recovered from her laughing. “Have you unlocked your Aura?”

“Yes,” the answer was curt, but an oddly strange topic change. The answer was easy to say, she had shown off her Semblance to Weiss, so...

“Semblance?” was, expectedly, the next question.

“Do you have a plant, or a tree laying around?” Tera asked. Grace’s expression turned bewildered before slowly pointing outside. Tera strode past her and went to the back door, Grace followed out of curiosity, as did Jackson and Serena. When she stepped outside, the backyard was bigger than she thought. She could see most of Vale’s tallest building from here, even a clocktower. _Well, that must be Beacon._ However, what predominately caught her eye, was a sapling. It looked like it was planted a few years ago, judging by its small size, maybe around knee height.

Before Grace could ask what she was about to do, Tera walked over to it and touched the sapling, activating her Aura and her Semblance, making the tree sprout to life, literally. The tree pulled itself out of the ground, and it stood right next to Tera like a small child would its mother. Grace was in awe, her mouth sputtering, trying to find logic, reason, words, _anything_. “Holy cow!” Grace screamed.

Tera looked to Serena noticing the twinkle in the mother’s eyes. She turned back to the girl, “So, Grace. You asked what my Semblance was and…” she gestured to the tree, “There you have it.”

“Can they have faces?” Grace asked, in utter awe at the fact that a tree could walk, and if they had faces, then she would collapse at the cuteness overload. Or the intimidation factor.

Tera bit her lip in thought, “I don’t know, honestly, maybe in time.” Tera let her hand drop from the sapling, as it then returned to its spot and re-rooted itself before going still like it never even moved.

“Bucket list, Tera. Bucket list,” Grace said once she snapped out of her awe-filled trance. “Now, I gotta show you the guest room, that is if you are staying.”

Serena tsked at her daughter, “Of course she is. She needs to eat, and I don’t have the heart to send her out on the street without her belly being full.”

Grace groaned, “Okay, _after_ supper, _then_ I’ll show you the room. I warn you, it’s as basic as you can get. Then you can meet my grandmother tomorrow.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Tera said, hiding her nerves behind a façade.

* * *

The two boys raced back to the library, no Semblances allowed, in order to make it fair. Ray could teleport back to the library, and Nick could slither his way over just as fast, but not fast enough compared to Ray. Once they burst through the door of the library, Mrs. Wynn looked up from her desk and smiled warmly at the two boys. “How was it, dearies?”

“Good, Mrs. Wynn. I took Ray to that Mistralian place you recommended a month back.” Nick said, which was loud in a quiet environment.

“How did you get back here so fast? That place is at least halfway across town,” Mrs. Wynn raised an eyebrow at the two boys who she loves like sons. Even if one of them lives on Patch, Ray has been a joy to have around, especially for Nick. Seeing the boy break out of his shell more with him around made for a positive relationship with her. He was a tad bit more open about his past, but still kept it closely guarded when approaching certain areas.

‘We raced back, no Semblances allowed. I am pretty sure I won,’ Ray signed with a triumphant grin.

“No way, I totally beat you here. I made it through the door first,” Nick argued back.

Ray smirked, ‘We never agreed where the endpoint was. If you said the front door, I won. If you said inside, however, then you would have won.’ 

“You two have your Auras unlocked?” Mrs. Wynn asked, surprised that they unlocked them at such young ages. Very rare that children have Auras, unless they want to be Huntsmen. Normally they unlocked them through training at a junior academy, not _before_ it.

“Yeah, under certain circumstances, we did. We’ve had them for a few years now, Semblances too. His is teleportation, which is as basic as it sounds. It also allows him to make him look like a flickering mirage, which drains him. Mine allows me to manipulate speed. Kind of a counter speed Semblance,” Nick nutshelled to the librarian. 

“Interesting…” Mrs. Wynn murmured to herself. “Well, have you two been training?” she addressed the two boys. Ray brought up his hands, then brought them down, before nodding. “Do you plan on applying to Signal Academy within the next year?”

‘Does knowing one of the professors and living at their place count?’ Ray attempted to joke and his smile came out shaky. Nick nodded resolutely at the elder woman’s question, before side-eying Ray at his words.

Mrs. Wynn nodded in return before focusing on Ray, “Do you mind my asking of which one?”

‘Taiyang Xiao Long,’ Ray signed back. To which the child noticed the librarian’s eyes twinkle at the name. ‘I have been living with him and his family for five years, give or take a few months.’

“I see,” Mrs. Wynn looked outside, noticing the sun was starting to set and the sky was getting darker. “Ray, dear, you should probably head home. I am sure he is worried about you if you stayed out too late.”

“Wait, you know a teacher at Signal?” Nick chimed in, excited, finally catching the name.

‘I know two, actually, but he is thinking about being a Huntsman full time. I think he is going to have an alcohol addiction if he continues, but with all that happened, it would not surprise me if he did… Sorry, I should be going. Shall we meet tomorrow at around eleven?’ Ray asked Nick. The topic change was to keep his feelings intact. That particular line of thought would drive Ray to tears. It was still a tense wound, but at least he knows some are coping better than others.

Nick was now hyper, “That’s super cool that you know two of them. Shame one of them is retiring, but if it works for them, then that’s good. Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye, Ray,” Nick said before, basically calling it as he sees it, slithering his way to the upstairs area of the library where Mrs. Wynn allows him to stay.

Ray signed his goodbyes as well before he left the library with one last glance towards the librarian. Her line of questioning was confusing, but he answered them anyway, just because she was a trusted adult. After getting to know her for two years, there was a bridge of trust built. So, he walked that bridge, knowing that he wasn’t going to fall.

* * *

Once both boys were out of sight, Mrs. Wynn stood from her desk and closed down the library before reaching under her mahogany desk and pulling out a Scroll. There was only one number put into it, and she dialed that number. When the tone stopped ringing, that was her cue to speak. “I have news.” There was a brief silence before she was told to continue. The voice on the other side of the call was male, mature, and well-composed. “One of them mentioned that their Semblance was unlocked and that he knows Tai.”

The voice became stern, _“So, is it him?”_

“I know it is. He’s been living with them for approximately five years. Did she not ever tell you?” Mrs. Wynn replied worried. “That and the name makes sense. They haven’t been heard from in almost a decade and a half, presumably, they are dead.”

A sigh came from the other side of the call, _“No, she did not, and they… apologies, off topic. Did he say what his Semblance was?”_

The librarian put a hand on her forehead and leaned her elbow on her desk, not out of exasperation, but from exhaustion. The past few days have been rough, there was a development that had transpired, and the situation was dire. “It was actually Nick. He said that his Semblance was teleportation and he has the eyes, just like she did, but he was not her child. Sir, there wasn’t much information on his parents at all, even his adopted ones. The only ones that have any information were the Rose-Xiao Longs.”

_“I know, but there is some good news.”_

“What is it, Professor?”

_“The pieces are falling into place.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations
> 
> La ricetta della nonna? Dobbiamo andare! = Grandmother’s recipe? We need to go!
> 
> Sì, piccola Gracie, Nana viene per una rapida visita domani. = Yes, little Gracie, nana’s coming over for a quick visit tomorrow.
> 
> Mamma, non possiamo farlo adesso? Per favore? = Mama, can we not do this now? Please?
> 
> Cosa sta facendo un membro della famiglia più ricca di Mistral alla mia porta? = What is a member of Mistral’s most wealthy family doing on my doorstep?
> 
> Lunga storia, amore mio = Long story, my love.


	4. Applying

Tera woke up in the middle of the night, breathing heavily, and in a cold sweat. Her dream got out of hand really fast. Scratch that, it spiraled as soon as her head hit the pillow that night. While the content of the dream was fading from her mind, the events that transpired made her weep. It was so stupid, even after all of these months, living with the Briggs family. Yes, Tera made her decision to stay with them, and she eventually decorated the room. Her vanity sat in the corner, closest to her closet. That being said, the closet was filled with clothes that she had bought over the course of these past few months. They were a cross between Mistral and Vale fashion trends, but the outfit that she always went back to was some beige baggy pants and band t-shirts that expose her midriff. Adding to the fact that she and Grace both wanted to be Huntresses, there was a lot on her plate currently.

Another thing that was keeping her up, even outside her dreams and nightmares, was the fact that her family could come to Vale and reclaim her at literally any point. By all intents and purposes, she ran away from home, not that they cared but if they cared enough, however, then they would come for her. If they caught her, then she would never be allowed to leave the manor again until she was married off or something drastic like that. Even with the time at the Briggs’ house, she still felt out of place. They have gone out, explored the town, have seen the sights, even watched two boys race each other to some random destination. They both seemed happy, and she even noticed it was a Faunus and a Human who seemed content before they both rushed off into the Vale Public Library an hour later. She wanted to visit there one day, but that was months ago. She still does, because there is a lot that she doesn’t know about Huntsmen and Huntresses. Anytime she requested information on them from her tutors, they would skirt around the question and change topics completely. It was quite annoying for her to deal with it for a few years. 

The young brunette took her scroll off of her nightstand, just next to her full-size bed. Unlike the room that was decorated in a Mistral style, the bedspread was more of a Vale style and a lot comfier than what the brunette expected. She did not care that it did not match the room layout, but comfort over fashion. Back to her Scroll, and her fear, she checked the Remnant Missing Persons List, or RMPL (Rumple), for short. She was constantly checking for any reports made out of Mistral. There was always a shred of hope that her family was looking for her, or at least worried about her, but each time she checked, her heart deflated along with her mood. Even throughout all of these times, she still checked for it. She even checked Mistral news outlets and recent death reports to see if something was reported and when she found nothing after ten minutes, she let out a sigh.

“Having trouble sleeping?” a voice said, breaking Tera out of her thoughts.

“Eep!” Tera yelped, her Scroll going off the bed and onto the carpet. Tera’s amber-orange eyes drew to Grace, who was rubbing one of her eyes, standing in the doorway with a t-shirt and shorts. “You scared me, Grace,” Tera said with a small voice.

Grace took a few steps into Tera’s room, “Nightmare?” Tera just nodded before sighing. “Was it about your family?” Instead of answering, Tera whimpered. Grace was awake after that. She climbed onto the bed and grabbed the girl’s shoulders and pulled her into a hug, which Tera reciprocated, clutching Grace’s shirt. “Do you want to talk about it?” she whispered into the crown of Tera’s head.

Feeling her nod, she waited for the brunette to calm down. One final sniffle and she began to speak, somewhat shakily, “M-My family… They d-don’t miss m-me. I’ve checked m-multiple times... and every time I do I ho-hope that they actually c-cared enough to at  _ least _ put out a missing person report.” Her crying resumed at a higher intensity while Grace was stunned.

Grace thought she wasn’t doing a good enough job to help their guest feel better, and if she knew about this concern sooner, then she would have tried to help her. “I know this is going to sound harsh, but please understand that I’m speaking from an outside-in perspective,” Grace whispered into Tera’s shoulder. “If they didn’t put out a missing person report, then they don’t care about you.” Grace felt Tera flinch at the words, but they were true. Tera knew it, but accepting it was a tough pill to swallow. “Just know that I do care about you, like a sister. The sister I never had.”

“Did you always want a sibling?” Tera croaked, her voice now hoarse from the crying. She wasn’t looking up, just glad that someone who actually cared about her was here.

“I did, but Mom had a complication after I was born. She found out that she couldn’t have any more children. It sent her spiraling into a depression. It was bad, but she came through. She never told me why, but I have a guess,” Grace’s voice was trembling.

“What was it?” Tera inquired.

Grace took a stabilizing breath, “I must have walked in on her just before she went over the edge… It was really messed up and I don’t ever want to see her like that again. Whether you know it or not, Mom really treats you like the daughter she never had. She treats you like how family should be treated; with love, care, and respect.” Grace now clung to Tera, “You just have to see it for yourself, alright?”

Tera reciprocated the hug before grabbing some tissues from her nightstand. She cleaned up her face before cleaning Grace’s with new tissues before pulling her back to the bed. “I will, and you wanna know something?” Grace yawned soon afterward.

“Hmm?” Tera followed suit with yawing, this was an emotionally heavy moment and it was draining to both of their sleep-deprived brains.

“Ho sempre desiderato anche una sorella,” she murmured before closing her eyes and going back to sleep. Both girls had smiles on their faces.

Both children were unaware of Grace’s parents outside in the hallway peering into Tera’s room. Serena was the one to break the silence that elapsed between them. The older woman’s face had tears going down her cheeks, “Who would not care for their child? It is despicable.”

Jackson comforted his wife, “I know, honey. Look at them, they really do act like sisters. Even after all these months, Grace took to her easily. She knows how it was with you. I believe she wants to see you happy and believe it or not, Tera  _ does _ make you happy.”

Serena whimpered into her husband’s chest, “I want to adopt her, so badly, but there are rules against it. In order to do so, we would have to say who she is. From what she’s told us, her family has a lot of power, and they could easily...”

“Do not think about it, dear. I know who her parents are, but even for him, this is downright child neglect. Sure, they had servants and butlers and all that, but does that replace her parents. It better not. Trust me, I want to adopt her as well, but that is a  _ lot _ of red tape to dive into. We just have to accept that she cannot be our daughter ‘officially’,” Jackson whispered to his wife. He gently pulled her away from their ‘adoptive’ daughter’s door and went back to sleep.

* * *

“Ray! You gotta get up lazy bones!” a voice shouted, startling the silver-eyed boy from his sleep. That was until someone jumped on him, making the boy give a silent  _ oof _ . Ray opened his eyes slowly to see a head full of red-tipped brunette hair, and silver eyes looking back at him. They were the exact same shade as his, “Come on, breakfast is ready. Dad made your favorite!”

Ray squirmed to get his hands free to sign, ‘Well, if you get off me, then I would be able to join you, Ruby.’ The crimsonette that tackled him nodded and got off before literally speeding out of the room, the smell of rose petals lingering behind. The smell made his heart clench.  _ No, I cannot think about it now. Just breathe, Ray. _ He forgot that Ruby naturally smells like rose petals. Ray sat up and took one look around his room to notice his posters and wall decorum, posters of the  _ Achievemen, _ and various video game posters thumbtacked to the wall. He  _ really _ took a look around his room, and he was thankful that they let him have this room. His little room in this cabin in the woods of Patch. It was actually quite big for what one might think. It had four rooms: Taiyang’s, Ruby and Yang’s, Ray’s, and a guest room. Two full bathrooms. Did Ray mention that the man of the house literally built this place from the ground up? That and he owns the land, so no one could stop him from making whatever he wants.

After yawning and stretching, he grabbed his toiletries and headed for the shower. Thankfully, he got in before Yang. Her hair is a force of nature and it takes her literal  _ hours _ to get it done. Everyone else could be done before she’s halfway done. The point is, Ray was quicker than everyone else. He headed downstairs wearing his favorite grey shirt and black shorts. His short hair, which was jet-black, with a cowlick on the right side at the start of his hairline was easy to handle. While his name is Ray, the color he is supposed to be named for is Sunray. While the irony is not lost on him, he just prefers the darker color palette. Plus, Yang has yellow down pat.

With his minor existential crisis now averted, he threw his dirty clothes into the hamper right before leaving the room and watching Ruby rush by him and grab him by the hand. “Come on! I’m hungry and we can’t start without you!” Ray grinned at the younger girl’s enthusiasm and let himself be pulled to the kitchen table downstairs. Tai greeted Ray with a smile and sat down at the table.

The sight that greeted him was nothing short of glorious.

He saw a mountain of pancakes and they weren’t  _ just _ pancakes. They were  _ chocolate chip _ pancakes. Literal heaven on Remnant. That, along with scrambled eggs and bacon, ham, and sausage. That could only mean one thing… “Happy Birthday!” three people said from behind the mountain of food. Ray mentally facepalmed, he  _ forgot _ it was his birthday today. The past few months have flown by. Now, it was August 14th. He’s thirteen this year.

‘Thank you so much!’ Ray beamed towards the rest of the family. ‘Now, can we eat?’ Ray asked as his stomach growled in response. They did not need permission after that. All four of them devoured the breakfast feast as Ray grabbed another helping of everything, along with a tall glass of milk. Tai just sat back and watched them all eat, not before he got a sample of everything. The young boy could see the look in the man’s cobalt eyes.  _ Remembrance. _ Ray must have had the same look because Taiyang locked eyes with Ray. Both of them made a silent agreement to not bring it up. It was still a sore spot.

Thankfully, Tai had a conversation starter, “So, what do you want for your birthday? You haven’t asked for anything all year, Ray.”

Well, there is one thing that Ray has wanted for a while and has somewhat trained in secret with Nick for months. Now that he was thirteen, he wanted one thing. ‘I want to be a Huntsman,’ Ray signed to the older man.

Tai stopped and the smile was replaced with a serious look. The man signed back quicker than the eye could see, but Ray could decipher it, ‘Are you absolutely sure?’

Ray never dropped eye contact, his silver eyes steeled their resolve, ‘More than anything. Plus, I have a few surprises in store.’

Tai’s eyes narrowed slightly, ‘You have not built your weapon, have you?’

Ray smirked, ‘Not yet. I will once I enroll in Signal Academy. I do have one edge over everyone else though.’

Yang caught on to the conversation noticing the signs, “Oh, so you’re interested in Signal too?” Ray looked at his blonde sister and smirked. Yang was enrolled for Signal this upcoming semester having Tai’s personal seal of approval. Ruby’s silver eyes widened, looking back and forth to Ray and Yang to her father.

Seeing now that everyone was included in the conversation, Tai began speaking, “So, you want to go to Signal Academy, don’t you?”

Ray nodded his head firmly.

“Alright, what is the first rule of being a Huntsman?” Tai asked the boy.

‘Make sure you have a license?’ Ray signed back confusingly.

Tai chucked before grinning at the boy, “Well that’s true, but I mean the rule after that, Ray.”

Thankfully, Ray did not have to answer, because Ruby chimed in. One problem, she had a mouth full of pancakes, “Dfo enot get cauhgt.” Ray smiled at the answer. However, Tai just shook his head laughing.

“Close, but not really. Always have a backup plan. Not everything you plan for is going to be there. Many variables can throw off even the most perfect of plans,” Tai’s parental side was coming out.

‘Good, so can I enroll into Signal? I want to be a Huntsman,’ Ray signed to Tai. Yang grinned off to the side. Ruby, however, looked a little crestfallen. Ray had an inkling feeling as to why, but revealed nothing.

“Being a Huntsman takes a lot. What makes you think you’re ready?” Tai questioned, and rightfully so. Ray, wanting to prove to him that he was ready, used his Semblance to appear by the front door, visible to Tai. The older blond’s eyes widened as he looked to Ray, then back to the chair. “Okay, I did not expect that,” the man’s voice went much lower, more of a thoughtful tone. “Is it really… hmm,” Tai said to himself before dismissing the thought.

Ray sauntered back into the room, watching all three of their reactions. Yang’s mouth was wide open, her lilac eyes put in awe. Ruby’s silver eyes were darting back and forth with glee and if anything, she was more hyped now than she was two minutes ago. Not what he intended but it was great for the fact that she no longer looked like someone kicked her. If someone actually did, then Yang would be the first to take care of them. Ray would support her. Tai still had the thoughtful look on his face before smirking at Ray, “Well it seems you are more than ready. Most do not even find their Semblance by your age; Aura sure. Then again, you are a special case. Now, your Semblance on the other hand is certainly unexpected and it puts you ahead of most of the Freshmen of Signal.”

Yang finally snapped out of her stupor, “Well, this was an unexpected surprise, he just  _ blinked  _ out of nowhere.” Yang giggled to herself.

Ruby groaned, Ray rolled his eyes, and Tai gave a single chuckle, “You, my little dragon, need to work on your puns. That one was  _ meh  _ at best.”

‘Yang, you are better off not trying to make puns with teleportation. You will find that it is difficult,’ Ray signed to the younger blonde. Thankfully, the Rose-Xiao Long house knows sign language.

“But teleportation is  _ sooo _ cool, though,” Ruby said, her eyes looking at Ray in a new light.

“Ray, how long have you had your Semblance?” Tai asked and Ray froze. This would be the chance to come clean about it, but he couldn’t tell him, but something tells the boy that he already knew.

‘Not long,’ he lied, making himself calm while he was in the girls’ presence.

Tai hummed before he motioned for Ray to go outside. Ray nodded and followed Tai outside. The blond Huntsman told the girls to stay inside. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?” Ray gulped. They only go on walks when Tai wants answers, to train, or to cool off.

Once they were far enough away from the house, Tai asked, “Now answer me truthfully, how long have you had your Semblance?”

Ray flinched as the tone came across condescending in a way, yet somehow parental in other ways. ‘Five years, since…’ Ray’s hands faltered as tears came to his eyes, reminded of his failure.

“...Summer” Tai supplied the rest. “You’ve had your Semblance for five years? Even before her last mission?”

‘Yes,’ The answer was a simple nod, already knowing that Tai was going to deduce it down to what happened. The walk was passed in silence as the sounds of birds, bees, and the wind enveloped them. They were just walking towards the main square of Patch, but going on a hill that was overlooking the entire island. There was something else on the other side of the island, but that was for more, personal moments.

“Well, let’s see what you’ve learned in that time,” Tai said, getting into a fighting stance. “I will be the judge to see if you get into Signal.”

Ray tilted his head in an  _ ‘oh, really?’ _ motion before getting into his own defensive stance. The mute child already knew he was going to lose, but that does not mean he won’t give it his all. After all, he had something to prove.

* * *

The Cobra Faunus woke up from his slumber with a massive yawn before he rolled out of bed and headed off to the showers. Thankfully, Mrs. Wynn had an apartment right above the library. It was like a mini home and one of the only places that Nick felt safe. After leaving the White Fang before it got violent and getting away from his parents was one of the few great blessings that Oum has given him. Looking into the bathroom mirror, Nick could see the physical damage from his period of abuse. What one could not see was the mental and psychological damage.

Nick reached up and scratched a portion of his arm, before wincing. He held up the section responsible and let out a hiss. It was the section of his arm that had a few scales missing from it, from what those pathetic wastes of space called  _ parents _ . They made sure they were the largest ones too. To maximize the damage. This brought on his boiling anger. Thankfully, he took a cold shower so the anger was quickly subsided and replaced with pain. There are days wondering why his parental units did that to him. Did they actually mean everything they said? Did they really regret him being born?

They had to have meant it. It was all he could hear for three years and the aftermath still lingers with him. Some days it’s manageable, sometimes negligible, and other days it becomes the worst thing to cross him. He didn’t know when it happened, but the bathroom door burst open, thankfully Nick had on boxers. Mrs. Wynn was at the threshold, her eyes holding worry and concern, something a mother would have. She tried to reach for him, but he flinched out of habit. For once, Mrs. Wynn ignored it and she got down on her knees and brought him in close for a hug. “Sweetie, you shouldn’t have to face this alone. I want to help you, but I can only help you if you let me.”

Nick’s voice fought to get out, and it did, albeit shaky, “I j-just want t-to forget them.”

Mrs. Wynn hugged him closer, “I am sorry, Nick. I will not be able to make all the pain go away. It is apart of you, but do not let it discourage you.” She pulled away to look into his eyes, “Have you heard of the Phoenix? The bird who rises from its ashes and becomes more powerful than before?” Nick nodded, to which the woman smiled at him. “Let this pain you feel be the Phoenix for you. It may strike you down, but you will come back better than before. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

Mrs. Wynn kissed his forehead before standing them both up, “Now, get dressed, young man. Ray had left a message for you. It was in Morse code, which I might say is annoying to listen to, but it allows him to ‘speak’ over the scroll. He will be here in about thirty minutes.”

“Okay,” Nick said, rushing to get back to his room and be ready. He put his hand on the doorframe and looked back to her, “and thank you for everything, Mrs. Wynn. I know I don’t say it enough, but it means the world to me.”

Mrs. Wynn looked at him with teary eyes before she recomposed herself, “It is not a problem, sweetie, now go. The library opens up when he arrives.”

Nick raced back to his room and threw on the first pair of clean clothes, a nice red sleeveless shirt, and plain black shorts. After his episode, he needed to accept what happened to him and rise above it. All of this, and he needs to accept that he is different, but everyone around the library knows that Nick is a kind kid. Sometimes, he catches whispers of how good he is and is such a positive influence on the Faunus in the area. People’s opinions are slightly better here in this section than in others. Not to say that there aren’t some people who aren’t of the same mindset.

Nick went back to his room and hastily got dressed not wanting to look at himself. He so longs to forget those abusive years, but obviously he cannot. With one last sigh, he got himself out of his room and down into the library. With one quick glance at every shelf, he flipped the ‘closed’ sign to ‘open’ and waited. The moment he stepped back, the bell rung. Nick turned around to see Ray standing there with a sheepish grin, ‘You said eleven, right?’

‘Yeah, but I did not expect you to be here on the dot,’ Nick signed flawlessly back.

Ray shrugged before gesturing with his head, ‘I blame him.’ In walked in a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed man with a gentle smile on his face. Nick did not immediately make eye contact. To be honest, if he didn’t see Ray coming in close behind the man, he would have been frozen in place.

“You must be Nick. Ray vaguely mentioned you. The name’s Taiyang, but just call me Tai,” Tai introduced himself. Nick shot a look to Ray, as if to ask for an explanation.

‘Not my story to tell,’ was the response received from the mute boy.

Mrs. Wynn heard the last bit of the conversation before she appeared around the corner, “Tai. It is good to see you again.”

Tai smiled politely, “Oh, I didn’t know you owned this. Nice to see you again Wynnie.” Mrs. Wynn’s eyes flashed with a look, completely missed by the kids, but the smile on Tai’s face morphed into a smirk.

“This is the teacher you know?!” Nick chimed in, suddenly all excited, his previous mood forgotten. Ray nodded at Nick before a flash of red came to a stop right in front of Nick. Ray’s eyes widened as Nick flinched severely. Ray grabbed the blurb and pulled her back, glancing at Nick all the meanwhile. Ray looked right into the blurb’s eyes before his message got across. The adults in the room stopped their conversation to watch the interaction between the three kids. The only child not present was off seeing a few friends she saw on the way here.

Mrs. Wynn was about to comfort Nick, but was held back by a hand on her shoulder from Tai. Being a Huntsman, he knows how to be observant. It was already obvious as soon as he walked in. The subtle flinching, the reluctance to make eye contact… it added up. Tai glanced at Ray, who was too busy approaching Nick to notice, but he could assume that he already knew much more to Nick’s backstory.

Ray waved a hand in front of Nick’s face. The Cobra Faunus was all there, except mentally. It was quite literally hell. Only when Nick felt hands on his shoulders did he react. He grabbed the offending hands and attempted to throw them off, but they held firm. Nick’s vision finally came into focus and saw Ray’s concerned silver eyes looking back at him. Then, his green eyes flicked over to the blurb, which was a girl in a red hood. Her hair was brown with red highlighted tips, but what drew him in was her eyes. They were  _ also _ silver.

Ray shook Nick lightly to get him to focus. Ray’s eyes seemed to ask the question for him,  _ ‘Are you good?’ _

“Y-Yeah… thanksss,” he whispered.

The bell to the store rang and Nick saw a blonde-haired girl with a set of lilac eyes, who was grinning from ear to ear, must have been something outside that caught her attention. “Sorry, did I miss anything?”

“Tai, why are you here?” Mrs. Wynn got to the point real quick.

“I’m hurt, Wynnie, can’t I just see an old friend from Beacon?” The glare from the librarian told him to get on with it. “I was coming by to help them fill out their forms for Signal. Since you are Nick’s Guardian, you need to be present. I will be filling out Ray’s. I figured it would be better to get down two birds with one stone while I had the chance.”

Mrs. Wynn’s glare lessened as she looked affectionately at Nick. She  _ did _ become his Guardian when she took him in. “Fine, but please try to limit the noise, there will be other people coming in. Let’s go to the back room where we can hash this out.” She led the entire group to a meeting room area.

“Tai, did you bring the applications?” Mrs. Wynn asked once they settled down. Nick sat on the end, Ray next to him, Ruby next to him, and Yang next to her little sister. The adults sat across from the two applicants. While this wasn’t supposed to be an interview, it kind of felt like that. Knowing that both boys wanted to be Huntsmen made their conviction stronger. They both answered every question, however, Ray skipped one.

Tai allowed it as he went on, not filling in one blank, the last name. But, that had to be filled in. “Ray, you need to have a last name on the application.”

Yang glanced at Ray, knowing how he felt about having their last names. While he never outright told her, she knew it always bothered him and anytime she would even vaguely mention it, he would shut down the conversation immediately. Ruby was looking back and forth with excited silver eyes, just happy he was getting to start his dream.

Eventually, Ray had to answer. He knew he didn’t particularly want to, but he’s delayed it long enough. ‘Rose-Xiao Long,’ Ray signed to his adoptive father. After all, living with them for the past five years, it should make him a part of the family. Still, the lingering feeling he never outright expressed was creeping up on him. Even Nick paused in his words to look over at Ray, noticing everyone was silent. Ruby stopped bouncing in her seat as Tai looked at his adoptive son with a wide smile. He couldn’t hide it even if he wanted to. Without much being said, Tai filled in the blank space with the name Rose-Xiao Long.

_ Ray Rose-Xiao Long. _ It has a nice ring to it, Ray thought to himself. He allowed a small smile to grace his face as they finished out the applications.  _ My last name may be O’Connor, but I have not felt like one in years. _ Tai grabbed Nick’s finished one as Ruby and Yang followed him up. “I’ll take care of these by the end of the day. I have to head over to Signal anyway.”

Ruby basically leaped onto Ray, tackling the boy into a hug while Ray already had his arms open and waiting, as if he expected this. Yang quickly joined in and said, “Welcome to the life Ray-Ray.”

‘Please do not start,’ Ray signed to Yang, who smirked and squeezed a little tighter. Ruby yelped, and it was the most adorable little squeak she made ever.

“Yaaaannngggg, lemme go,” the crimsonette gasped. Just like that, the hug was stopped. Ray was trying to compartmentalize everything that just transpired. Yang and Ruby left with Tai soon after, both of them wishing him luck, Yang especially after she ruffled his hair. Ray grimaced and swatted her hand away, he knew what was in store for him at Signal if they were allowed to spar. There will be new fresh bruises if that is the case.

However, Ray had a huge grin on his face. He was going to be a Huntsman! He was going to follow his dream. Everything he has ever dreamed, just from watching her. All this time, he knew he wanted to be the person who saved him. A small shiver reverberated up his spine, mostly unnoticeable to the present company in the room, that being Mrs. Wynn and Nick. He knew what the life was like. He has a lot of making up to do. Either way, he intended to honor the one person who gave him a reason.

A reason to move on, but not to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation(s):
> 
> Ho sempre desiderato anche una sorella = I’ve always wanted a sister as well


	5. RN Meets GT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four children meet up, get to know each other over bowls of Ramen (Noodles), and decided they want to show off. Entering the Forever Fall forest brings back memories for one, and while holding them back was helpful it ultimately failed, leading them to book it back to the Kingdom walls.
> 
> _However, the one thing that remained on the Faunus’ mind was the way his eyes looked after Grace pointed out that they shimmered. Ray signed that he never saw nor felt them do that, but he expressed that he had to protect his friends even if it meant staying behind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, no lengthy note this time, just saying hi!

Soon after Taiyang left with his two daughters, Mrs. Wynn stood up and looked right at the two boys, “Just promise me one thing, you two.” Both boys redirected their attention to the head librarian. “Make sure you do come to visit me when you have the chance.”

“‘Of course,’” the boys responded in unison, giving their capabilities. They both knew they would come back. Nick would come back and visit every chance he could get. Ray already took every chance to visit. This was easy to follow.

“Hey, Ray?” Nick asked from his other side, waving a hand in front of the boy’s face. The silver eyes focused on the Faunus, giving him attention. Nick was smiling broadly, “Well, let’s go celebrate. We are going to get into Signal! Now, I think you are going to pay for our meals, and before you start, I paid  _ last  _ time.”

Ray rolled his eyes before nodding and heading out of this meeting room that they have been subjected to for the past hour. Upon standing, Ray stumbled, feeling his legs almost give out on him. Nick laughed at his friend’s misfortune. ‘Lead the way, while  _ I _ try to make sure that my legs do not fall asleep.’

“Sure, A Simple Wok?” Nick asked his mute friend. The former nodded in response before grabbing his rucksack, or his bag. Nick noticed this for the first time and he just accepted it without question.

Both boys headed for the door and just as they reached for the door, it opened and Nick almost ran into two females. Ray’s shoulders shook in silent laughter at his friend’s almost blunder before patting his shoulder. He mouthed ‘excuse me’ as he passed them, Nick doing the same, saying it aloud. They were about to start their impromptu race before one of them shouted, “Wait!”

Both boys stopped walking before they both gazed over their shoulders to see both girls jogging to them. One of them had slate-colored hair with grey accents and Ray had to do a double-take at her eyes. They weren’t silver, but they were pretty damn close at first glimpse. Her outfit was modest enough for a girl her age with a tank top, jean shorts, and black ankle booties. Odd choice, but it did compliment her style. Thankfully, she was not one for makeup, from what Ray saw, she didn’t need it. The second girl was obviously not from Vale. The clothes and color scheme gave it away. Her eyes were of amber-orange in nature, brunette. A shirt that covered her top half and her stomach, but exposed her midriff and some light baggy pants. Once they made it to both boys, Ray raised an eyebrow. Nick, thankfully, spoke for them, “How can we help?” Ray noticed that the tone was once more of caution than of questioning. Ray put those pieces together. He was one hundred percent ready to defend his friend if they decided to tease him. 

Both of the girls seemed to pause, as if they did not plan this far ahead. “Not going to lie, did not think we would even catch you,” the slate-haired girl said with a nervous chuckle. “You both seemed to be ready for a race.”

Nick nodded, “That wasss the plan, we were going to celebrate.” Ray nodded in agreement, giving them a small smile. He was watching to really make sure they didn’t comment on Nick’s speech pattern.

“Celebrate what, if you don’t mind my asking,” the second girl prodded. It was curious, and Ray noticed the first girl’s eyes were shining, but they were standing in the shadows.  _ Eye semblance.  _ Ray flared his Aura to see if she reacted, and she did, predictably so. The girl’s eyes were now focused on him, and the silver-eyed boy smirked.

“We both applied to Signal, because Ray here knew a teacher. We both want to be Huntsmen,” Nick replied, glancing at Ray, seeing if he explained too much.

“Wait, you both are going to Signal? You both applied?!” the slate-haired girl asked, eyes wide, now focused on Nick. They did, however, lose the shimmer previously occupying them.

Nick laughed at her excitement, “Yeah, we were going to get some noodles in celebration. Sure, we may not know if we  _ actually _ got in, but it’sss the thought that countssss, right?”

The brunette gasped softly as if she forgot something, “Dust, we forgot one thing…” everyone glanced at her in confusion, “we forgot to tell each other our names.”

“Well, go on Tera, since you’ve done so good this far,” the slate-haired girl said with blatant playful sarcasm. “The name is Grace, this is Tera.”

Ray brought up his hands and signed, ‘My name is Ray.’ Both girls looked at him like he had three heads before Nick outright guffawed at their expressions.

“Sorry, I forgot that most people have not been around him as long as I have. This is Ray. I’m Nick. It’s nice to meet you,” Nick wheezed, putting a stabilizing hand on Ray’s shoulders

“I have one… well two questions,” the slate-haired girl, Grace, asked. Ray nodded at her, granting her permission. She looked at Nick, “Are you a Faunus?” Ray narrowed his eyes and glared at Grace, just waiting for her to mess up.

Nick, however, was unfazed, “I am,” his tone turned monotone. “Whatever name you have saved for me, save it. I’ve probably heard it before.”

Grace waved her hands dramatically, “No no no! I was genuinely curious as I notice Faunus around and I-”

“What she means is, she wants to be friends, and I do too. See, we also want to apply to Signal, but this one,” Tera gestured to Grace, “has to beat her father’s challenge.” Both boys looked at each other before shrugging, regaining their chipper personalities.

“Second question, and please stop me if I cross an unintended line but, do you speak?” Grace asked innocently.

Ray stiffened, his mind thrown back to his memories of when he lost his voice, before Nick shoved his shoulder a little. Both Grace and Tera did not seem to notice his minor episode, but the Cobra Faunus’ deep green eyes looked into Ray’s silver ones asking an unspoken question. Ray shook his head no ever so slightly. Now was not the time to tell them,  _ especially _ since they just met. Ray looked right at Grace before signing, ‘I could teach you how to understand me, if you really wanted.’ Nick translated for him.

Both girls agreed before they started talking about all sorts of topics. Signal Academy was one of the main interests. Ray made a mental note to ask about their families if the conversation veers towards it. The walk between the four children was peaceful, no one was batting an eye that four kids walking and talking.

The Faunus had to break the conversation to ask, “So, we’re about a block away from the Simple Wok, Ray’s covering me, but you two might be on your own. You do have yourselves covered, right?”

Both girls glanced at each other before nodding, ecstatically. The brunette spoke, “We came out here with a few hundred Lien. We  _ were _ going to go clothes shopping, but we were hoping to run into you guys. We saw you race the last time a while back, and little miss Huntress used her Semblance to see you two already had your Auras.” Ray raised an eyebrow at this and smirked, looking at Grace.

“I knew I had a guess at your Semblance. When you use it, your eyes gain a… shimmer?” Nick questioned as he translated for Ray.

“Really? I never noticed it,” Grace mumbled. “Well, it is good to know. How about after we eat, then we could show off our Semblances?”

Tera laughed, “Oh I cannot wait to show you what I can do. It will be amusing to see your faces.” Grace nudged Tera before snickering. Ray was highly tempted to use his Semblance to appear behind them to say that ‘We have updated our privacy policy.’ Alas, he cannot speak, so it would be lost on them.

The jingle of the bell brought Ray out of his thoughts. Nick told Ray to go to their usual table, which was a booth in the corner. The shopkeep knew these boys well, so once they saw them there, they would get their orders in a few minutes. Both Grace and Tera followed after Ray and he sat on one side, while both girls sat opposite him.

There was an awkward silence, but Ray was tapping the table. It, at first, seemed mindless, but Grace was listening to the pattern. There was a split second before she caught on. It was Morse code, hardly used nowadays, but still very useful. Thankfully, Grace’s father had taught her the language. She put her hand on the table and started tapping in response. ‘{I am surprised you also know this.}’

Ray grinned from the other side of the table, while a waitress was making her way over to the table, ‘{Took you long enough to notice, Grace.}’ 

“So what are you two doing?” Tera asked with renewed interest.

Grace let her hand fall flat on the table, “Just talking with Ray. Good thing I know Morse.” She sent a wink at Ray, whose grin only widened before he leaned back, interlocking his fingers behind his head. When he did that, both girls noticed the slight discoloration on his neck. Both girls drew their own separate conclusions. 

That was when Nick came back and slid right next to Ray, “There isss a waitress on her way over to give you a menu, since they do not know your favorites or if you wanted to try something new.” The latter half of Nick’s words was directed at Ray, who nodded.

Before Grace and Tera could express their thanks, the waitress spoke, whose nametag said Sear. “Welcome to a Simple Wok, how can I help you today?” she spoke with a gentle smile. She always had that smile, and when the boys come here, they always leave a little extra on the tip for her.

Tera looked at the menu for about three seconds before she said, “Mistralian Special, please.”

Grace looked over the menu as well, since they were sharing the same menu, and decided, “Can you do a chef’s special? I’m interested in testing my luck.”

Sear nodded whilst writing down their orders before glancing at the boys who were looking around, “The usual for the two of you, making sure in case you two wanted something different this time.”

Ray signed to the waitress, ‘This time I will try the Alfredo bowl, and can I please get a side of butter?’

“Sure thing, dearie. For you, Nicky?” Sear turned to the faunus. Nick shook his head, opting for his regular. His regular was a classic bowl but had meat chunks in it, doused in peppers, onions, and sauce. It was almost like a lasagna, but without the order to it. With a final smile, she left for the kitchen. With that being said, the group moved on to the next order of business. Chatting about school.

“Sometimes, I hate the people in my class. They act all high and mighty, but the moment they see a cockroach, they scream like little babies. People in Huntsmen Academies have a lot more respect. That and the amount of people being racist towards Faunus makes my blood boil,” Grace said, Tera nodding in agreement, and whose amber-orange eyes hardened at ‘racist towards Faunus’. Tera knows all about it, the servants in her father’s manor were always treated less than human.

“Ohhh, can you tell me what names they said? I’ve got a list of all the worst ones I’ve heard, some of them have been said to my face.” Little did they know, most of their slurs came from his parents, ironically enough.

Tera looked at Nick in confusion, “Are you sure you want to see those? I obviously won’t say them, but-”

“I’ll say it again, I have had some of the worst of the worst thrown at me and due to some events, I ignored them, told them to have a nice day and left,” Nick shrugged, tapping the table in no order. Ray rubbed his forehead before shaking his head. He was very tired. Not from today, but it was apart of it.

Thankfully, at some point, there was an appetizer placed at the table, somehow avoiding all the children’s notice. Garlic bread, a favorite amongst the boys. The girls were indifferent to it. They did not hate it, nor did they like it. Ray and Nick ate the bread like their life depended on it. “Wow, how do you do it?” Grace asked, eyes solely focused on him.

“Yearsss of practice,” Nick said simply as Sear came back, carrying four bowls on a tray before handing each one out to each person. Ray nodded in thanks with a smile. Grace licked her lips in anticipation. Tera smelled hers, which truth be told, it smelled divine and just a little like home. Nick immediately started eating. He was not going to wait. Food’s here, and no one can take it away from him. Ray’s shoulders shook in silent laughter from the display and eventually began eating as well, adding his side of butter in with his cheesy noodles. Did one forget to mention that these bowls of noodles were huge, like almost to the point of not being able to see? Even Ray could only finish three-quarters of his bowl, and this was not his usual order, so it was no surprise to the silver-eyed boy if he didn’t consume it all. Both girls finished half of theirs, and they seemed satisfied. Nick was the only one who finished his.

“How did you manage to finish that? It was chock full of meat, chesse, and whatever else was in there?!” Grace said flabbergasted. 

“Again, years of practice. That, and Ray here thinks I have multiple stomachs and given my obvious heritage; I would not be surprised if that was the case,” the deep green eyes twinkled with mirth. There was a hint of pride mixed in, which did not go unnoticed by the trio.

“I see you kids enjoyed your meal,” Sear asked rhetorically as she made her rounds checking on patrons. “You dearies need to go boxes?”

Grace nodded, as did Ray. He really enjoyed it and he wanted to see if Tai could make it as well. Sometimes, he makes leftovers seem like a gourmet dish. That, and cookies because who can deny chocolatey goodness? He blames Ruby for his slight cookie addiction.

“Soooo,” Tera began, nervously, “same time next week? I mean, if we are all trying to get into Signal, maybe we could talk more?” Everyone agreed as Ray did a mocking of clearing his throat, smirking all the while. “Sorry, maybe we could talk and sign more. I’ll be honest, I’ve been wanting to learn a new language for some time now. I guess this gives us the perfect opportunity.” Ray agreed with the Mistralian girl. 

“Pleasure is all mine,” Nick translated for Ray. “Now, let us head back before someone wonders where we are. This section of Vale may have nice areas, but they can turn into the worst at a moment’s notice.”

“I see. I’ll call my Dad, let him know where we are, and ask if we can get a ride. I’m pretty sure Mom will lecture me, but at least we’ll all be safe,” Grace offered and no one disagreed. Having a trustworthy adult nearby, or on-call, was a blessing for children traveling around the Kingdom unsupervised.

“Until we depart, I’d like to say, I hope your challenge goes well and I know you can do it,” Nick encouraged Grace, flashing her a smile.

“Thanks, Nick. Now all I have to do is make sure I come out with fewer bruises than normal.” The horrified looks on the boys’ faces made Grace clarify, “He’s a Huntsman as well, an experienced one at that. He’s the one who has taught me all the basics and then some for Signal. Some of them were even from Beacon and a dash of Shade.” Both boys relaxed at her clarification. “What, you thought he abused me?”

Nick went rigid, while Ray looked shocked, eyes wide. Ray quickly tapped the table, ‘{It was on our minds, yes.}’

Grace guffawed at the explanation, “No, he does not. Tera lives with me and she also trains with my dad, but not to the intensity of what I do.”

That reassured them to relax, the underlying tension in their shoulders releasing in a sigh. With that, the discussion went to more casual topics like their normal lives and such. Once the four children paid for their meals, they went their separate ways; but not before exchanging scroll numbers and contact information. Each member was happy with the outcome, both parties were happy that they potentially gained two friends.

* * *

Over the past few weeks, Grace, Ray, Nick, and Tera all met up at Simple Wok to chat, ask for updates on their lives, and they grew closer as a result. There was one time that a woman called the Faunus ‘a bunch of animals’ in Nick’s clear line of hearing. Nick casually responded with playing a song called  _ Animal _ by  _ Smash into Pieces. _ The woman also received three piercing glares from the three other children. Ray may or may not have thrown some obscene gestures with his hands that no one else got except for Nick. Grace and Tera have been learning Sign and Morse, the latter of the two girls more so than the former.

Safe to say, the woman was appalled at the audacity of these kids just glaring at her. They made fun of their friend and they will not take too kindly to that. Other faunus in the area noticed and looked at them with respect and much more. Some of the Faunus even recognized Ray as the child who was always around the White Fang. They thought it was for the best that they do not approach him. 

This time, instead of going to Simple Wok, or even Slice of Vale, they were headed out to Forever Fall. The last time the four of them met, they decided that they wanted to go out to an area where they can show off their semblances;  _ without _ drawing major attention to themselves. The hard part was sneaking out of the Kingdom, but thanks to Ray and Nick, they knew at least four different ways out. Living on the street for a time gave them the smarts and the means that they needed. After they snuck out, they slipped into the forest. The red leaves were slowly grating on the silver-eyed boy’s nerves. He hasn’t been out here since…

Removing those memories from his mind temporarily, he instead focused on his friends, something positive. Grace was loving the sights and asking about the history aloud. Tera was absorbed into the sights as well because she never knew what it was like to be outside of Anima, much less Mistral. All these things, these trees, bushes, and leaves, were beautiful. It made her slightly homesick, but she squashed the feeling before it bloomed. Nick was glad to see his friends be so carefree like a hidden tension dripped off their shoulders like a roof to water. 

However, the reason that they came out here was simple: To show off their Semblances, since they all have one. Signal’s new semester was starting up in two months, and the final applications were due in half that time. Grace had tried her father’s challenge again and failed. Granted, she got even closer than before, but the failure seemed to have carried with the slate-haired girl. She did what she could to hide those feelings. This was not the place to have Grimm crawling all over them. That would be the end of their adventure right there.

“So, who wants to go first?” Nick asked the three of them, once they were far enough away from the Kingdom walls.

“I’ll go first, but mine will be more of an explanation than a demonstration,” Grace volunteered. “So, I call my Truesight. It is an eye semblance. It allows my eyesight to improve dramatically, to surpass Faunus levels of eyesight and more. I can see most everything, as I do not know my weaknesses or strengths. I  _ do _ know, however, that I can see heartbeats and Grimm if they get too close. I actually saved a Huntsman while we were in the Emerald Forest one time. I shot a Grimm right as it dived onto the Huntsman. They came to my house sometime later. As Ray pointed out, my eyes shimmer and gain a glow. I tested it while looking into a mirror. My eyes become more charcoal than normal, like the grey fades out and the black comes in.” To show her point Grace activated her Aura, which was like a wave of mist that clouded over her, and her eyes gained the aforementioned glow. “Right now, I can see your heartbeats and even the colors of your Auras, even if they are not active.” She did not mention that Ray’s was pure silver. Add on that he was pure, in every sense of the word. “This would be more effective in combat, or scouting.”

‘I will go next. I might as well show you,’ Ray signed, to which Nick translated. The girls were getting better, but Ray also signs just a little bit too fast. It comes with the muscle memory of having to speak like this for years. Thankfully, Nick was adept at reading Ray’s style of sign. Then, the boy pointed at a treeline around half a football field’s length away and suddenly he was not next to them anymore. A quick glance around and everyone present took notice that Ray was indeed no longer next to them, but instead, he was at the destination he pointed at. Ray smiled and waved right at them while the girls were trying to comprehend it. He then teleported right next to the girls and wrapped his arms over their necks and pulled them close for a hug. He then zipped away to start signing, once again translated by Nick, ‘It has a limited range and I can teleport multiple people, but from my (Nick’s) experiences, it feels like your body gets turned inside out. To add on to my Semblance, I can do something I call ‘Mirage’.’ Ray demonstrated this by phasing in and out, like a flickering light. Nick waved his hand through the image of him before Ray heaved a big breath before his Aura flickered and he stumbled slightly. ‘Still working on that, it just drains me. It is just me rapidly teleporting an inch to the left or right.’

After translating, Nick spoke, “While he recovers, I might as well take the next ssslot. In basic terms, I can manipulate velocity whether it be myself, others, or objects. Tera, pick up that stick.” Nick gestured to a medium-sized stick. The Mistralian girl did so, wondering where the Faunus was going with this. “Now throw it as hard as you can in any direction,” Tera did so without complaint. Nick took that time to focus on the stick and, in lack of a better term, willed it to slow down. At first, the stick was spinning pretty fast, and soon, it slowed to around a couple of spins every few seconds. Then, in a split-second decision, he made the stick speed up until it lodged itself into a nearby tree trunk. “I can even affect one of you. However, this involves physics. Sure I could slow you down while you fall but mass, momentum, and gravity still apply. Therefore it should carry the same force. That would mean if you were falling and I slowed you down, you better hope that you can land with enough counterforce.” Ray winced, having an experience with that. Both girls' jaws dropped as the display and the explanation before they saw Ray wince. Then they laughed. Ray at least had the decency to blush out of embarrassment.

Tera cleared her throat and directed the attention to her, saving Ray from wanting to dig a deep hole and never come out. Tera, ever so casually, walked to the biggest tree that she could find. To be fair, it was the biggest one she could handle. A giant oak tree, planted three centuries ago would be far too taxing on her Aura. Instead, she went for a modest-sized tree, about three times taller than herself. She rested her hand on the tree, slowly pushing her Aura into it. Sure enough, within seconds, the tree shook itself from its roots, becoming sentient. It did not have a face, but it looked like it could see everyone. The boys looked on in amazement. Nick actually took a few steps back while Ray was sitting on the ground, mouth agape. “Close your mouth, you’ll catch flies.” He promptly shut his mouth and forced himself up. It was quite a sight to see a tree be plucked from its spot and then start walking. Ray noticed that Tera was still touching it, which prompted her to speak, “The one major downside of this is that I have to keep contact with it or else it goes solid again and reroots itself to wherever it is. If it is in the proximity of its origin point, then it will go back. At least, that is what I’ve noticed.”

Nick seemed to finally get his voice back, “Seems like a great idea for a prank.”

“Dust, why didn’t I think of it sooner?! That’s perfect!” Tera shouted, waving both hands in the air. After letting go, the sentient tree turned, and rerooted itself back into its original spot, exactly like Tera said. The only evidence that the tree even moved that the four children could see was the upturned dirt. Otherwise, it looked like it never moved at all.

While they were laughing, Ray still had a lot on his mind. He was shoving off the feelings before, but now they were beginning to take place. Nick, his brother senses tingling, noticed the change, “Ray… are you alright?”

Ray snapped out of his mind to shakily sign, ‘I-It is happening again. T-The memories.’ Nick’s eyes widened, and that only concerned the two girls.

“What’s happening?” Grace asked, voice noticeably downturned.

As calm as he could make his voice, “We need to go. If we don’t, then we might as well be Grimm food. All I can tell you is that Ray has some not-so-fond...  _ memories  _ out here. He was holding them back, but the longer we are out here…”

“... the more time they start to override his rational thought?” Tera questioned, her voice getting higher-pitched.

“Something like that,” Nick confirmed. “Now, go. Ray would teleport us, but it is taxing on him. Over time, he might be able to teleport all of us at once.”

_ The memories affect me more than you know, Nick.  _ Ray thought to himself, the last bit of rational thought clinging to his mind. Then, he swears he saw the bushes rustle. All four of them managed to start running, the girls ahead of the boys, Nick basically dragging the silver-eyed boy. His mind was slowly coming back to him, each step seeming louder to his ears. Ironically, he does not have advanced hearing. Then, something rustled in the bushes. ‘Company,’ he signed to Nick, who he pushed ahead to get the girls’ arms.

“Move it!” he shouted, already knowing Ray’s thought process.

Grace activated Truesight, and what she saw made her heart stop cold. There were Grimm, at least three Beowolfs, close by. They were coming, and their eyes seemed directly on Ray. “Nick, they’re after Ray.”

“I know, and he wouldn’t want us to stay. He’s got enough of his Aura left to make an emergency jump,” Nick said, starting to pant lightly. Tera was absolutely panting like a dog in hot weather. She never had to run  _ this _ much in Mistral.

Ray’s eyes were flickering back and forth, just waiting for them to jump out of the bushes. He was just waiting. He was hoping that they would make a move. Once they did, he could make for a distraction. However, he was not looking where he was going, because a simple little tree root, not caused by Tera, tripped him. Ray fell hard, his Aura flickering even more, almost giving out. That was when they lunged with intent to kill. Ray did manage to teleport, but only about five feet, then his Aura broke.

_ Bang! Boom! Bang! _

The thundering sound of gunshots went off, killing the Grimm before they even reached Ray. The boy turned around and noticed the turrets placed on Vale’s wall were active. They always were, and they just saved his life. Nick, Grace, and Tera were touching the wall, all three of them in separate breathing patterns. Nick was easy, barely breaking a sweat, still noticeably panting. Grace was medium, her breathing a little heavy and irregular. Tera was absolutely sloshed. There was nothing holding her back from almost collapsing; she was holding her chest, most likely checking her heart rate. Ray was actually more concerned about her than himself, and he just had a brush with death incarnate.

Thankfully, the fact that the turrets go off every few hours along with dampeners to make sure the sound isn’t  _ too _ terribly loud, make it so the citizens of Vale who live close to the wall don’t have to worry about their eardrums being shot out. With that, they snuck back into the Kingdom with an hour before sundown. “This was… fun but… can we  _ not _ … do that again… for some time?” Tera said between breaths.

‘Agreed,’ Ray signed, as he nodded his head. Grace was staring intently at him, her Semblance off, but it looked like she had it on. ‘Is something on my face?’

“Your eyes… they’re shimmering, like  _ really _ shimmering.” Grace said, almost dream-like. She has never seen eyes shimmer like that before. Even her own eyes pale in comparison. Even though his eyes were still on alert, they looked serene from here.

Nick chimed in, matter-of-factly, “Well, his eyes  _ are _ silver so….”

Both girls shouted, loud enough for everyone else to hear in a solid five-mile radius, “They’re  _ what _ ?!”

* * *

Once they all made it back inside, they all went home and they did not talk about it. Grace’s parents tried to ask how their day was but they said it was normal. They accepted it without question, which internally raised the girls’ suspicions, but they let it go.

They learned a lot that day. They learned that silver eyes are real, the legend is real and Ray was one of them, albeit extremely rare. Grace was going to ask her father about them, but that would lead to a line of questioning that the young Briggs girl did not want to entertain tonight. Today was an overload of information, and it would take a good nights’ rest to digest it.

Tera immediately set to researching anything she could find out. There was not much on them, to begin with, much to her dismay. The only solid thing she had on them was the legend. There has not been a documented silver-eyed warrior in years, if ever. Other minor research included that silver-eyed people were one with a kind heart, willing to do anything for their friends and family, going as far as laying down their lives if it meant a  _ single _ person was saved. Tera thought back to when Ray pushed Nick ahead, and it all clicked. Grace mumbled offhandedly, probably without meaning too, that his Aura was pure silver. Kind of a dead giveaway, now that she thinks about it. At first, Tera thought his eyes were contacts of some kind, but after Ray expressed his disinterest in them, she let it go. That didn’t mean that she had loads of questions for him, some he probably couldn’t answer, but those could wait until they were more comfortable with each other. 

Nick remained at the library while he explained that Ray was born with them, and he honestly thought about getting contacts to cover them, but he would rather not worry about something flimsy that could get dirty. However, the one thing that remained on the Faunus’ mind was the way his eyes looked  _ after _ Grace pointed out that they shimmered. Ray signed that he never saw nor felt them do that, but he expressed that he had to protect his friends, even if it meant staying behind. Which after all this time, the girls being genuine, how could he not be friends with them? Nick smiled. He was happy that he had friends. Friends that could be by his side. The Cobra’s mind went off to the time he met Ray… those were tough times for Nick, but he was grateful for the outcome.

Soft footfalls reached his hearing, still slightly above a human’s level, but not much, “It’s late, Nick. You should be sleeping.”

“Just dreaming misss,” he whispered, knowing Mrs. Wynn was looking at him with a soft expression. He did not reveal his entire trip, but he did say that they explored the kingdom.

Mrs. Wynn gave a thoughtful hum before responding, “Good night, Nick.” Her footsteps retreated before he heard her say, “I love you like my own son.” The ear-splitting smile that coated the boy’s face was shining. Without warning, he leaped out of his bed before hugging the librarian from behind, his head resting just under her shoulder blades.

“Love you too, Mrs. Wynn. Thank you,” he said, still muffled into her back. Her hand rested over his, and he didn’t flinch. Nick quickly ran back into his own room, shutting the door. The cobra did not see the happy tears running down the librarian’s face. 

Ray, meanwhile, had to somehow make it back to Patch without being seen. Easier said than done. Thankfully, there was a gondola that traveled there and back. Ray may or may not have stowed away on it. While the ride was smooth, he couldn’t help himself think about his eyes. He knew they were special, as told by Summer a plethora of times. He did not know they were  _ that  _ special. Sure, Uncle Qrow had a few stories about them, but there was only really the one story. The legend. Just knowing the legend was not entirely true made Ray have mixed feelings about the whole thing. Then his thoughts immediately went to the little girl in the red hood. Summer made it special for her, her little rose. She offered to make one for him, but he did not think he deserved one. Even after all these years, he still thinks he does not deserve their kindness. However, recent events have turned  _ some _ of that around. Self-doubt will plague him, much like the memories inside Forever Fall.  _ That _ was another thing he had to chastise himself for. He  _ thought _ he was okay. He  _ thought _ he could hold it in.

Well, he thought wrong.

Thankfully, the boat arrived in Patch and Ray recovered enough of his Aura to use his Semblance. He got off the boat with ease, and no one saw him. If he saw the boat again, he would pay double Lien for it, no explanation. It would make him feel better. Now, he would have teleported across the ocean to the island, but the one time he did… well, let’s just say he was thrown into the deep end, up the creek, without the boat or the paddle. Now, if he really concentrated, he could do it, but alas with his current condition, that was a no-go. The long-distance teleporting was still a far off goal of Ray’s, but it still made him wonder if… “So. Where have you been?”

Ray looked up to see Taiyang leaning against the doorframe. He didn’t realize he walked himself all the way home. Peering behind Tai’s legs were Ruby and Yang giving him the  _ ‘ouuu, you’re in trouble’ _ face. ‘With friends, exploring Vale.’

“Hmmm,” Tai huffed. Ray didn’t know whether or not to be scared. It was the truth, but not the  _ whole _ truth. Lie of omission? Probably. “Come on inside, maybe you could tell me about these  _ adventures? _ ”

‘{Suuuurreee}’ Ray tapped Tai’s forearm. With that being said, Ray slipped right inside the house, giving a hug to Yang, before chasing down Ruby and hugging her.

Tai took this moment to step outside before pulling out his scroll, opening it up to a group chat.  _ Yeah, the old man knows how to use his scroll, take that, children. _ Tai mentally shouted, all in good fun.

> **_[Winnie the Pooh]  
> _ ** _ They are definitely hiding something. _
> 
> **_[Jackson Briggs]  
> _ ** _ Most definitely, I’ll ask around to see if anyone saw them. _
> 
> _ Tai, has he come home? _
> 
> **_[Greatest Punster Alive]_ ** _  
>  He has. Says he was, ‘out’. More like outside the Kingdom without my permission. _
> 
> **_[Winnie the Pooh]  
> _ ** _ We really need to change that name, Tai. _
> 
> **_[Greatest Punster Alive]  
> _ ** _ Oh come on, Winnie. You love it! _
> 
> **_[Jackson Briggs]  
> _ ** _ She’s right, but another time. When should we meet to discuss the children’s behavior? Little Gracie looked like she had a question, but did not ask. Normally she does. _
> 
> **_[Greatest Punster Alive]  
> _ ** _ I have a hunch on that, and it was probably staring them in the face. _
> 
> **_[Winnie the Pooh]:  
> _ ** _ You mean his eyes, correct? _
> 
> **_[Greatest Punster Alive]  
> _ ** _ And Bingo was her name o.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have zero regrets about the text conversation. My friend already gave me hell for it. It stays.... don't @ me.


	6. What We Are

All four children did not meet or see or communicate with each other for a week. They needed the situation to blow over. Thankfully, it seemed that none of the parental units were suspicious of their endeavors outside the wall. This time they all decided to meet at  _ Lost in Mistral Buffet _ based on Tera’s recommendation; even though the boys have already been there a while back.

The ulterior reason for the meeting there instead of a Simple Wok, was because they had things to discuss. The information overflow that they went through last week. Ray has tried to prepare answers for questions, but he also doesn’t have all the answers. To be frank, he’s also expecting personal questions. It has been about two months since Ray and Nick have enrolled into Signal Academy and the cutoff for applicants was in a few days. The girls have seriously considered enrolling, well the Mistralian more so than the Valen. She still had her father’s challenge to do.

Ray was sitting in the booth, since he arrived first, nursing a cup of hot cocoa. The aroma calms him down some, and he feels comfortable there, at least for now. It’s quiet, peaceful, and it turns away the screams of his inner turmoil. Over the course of the week, he has had nightmares every night. He didn’t let anyone know; kinda easy when you can’t even scream. Today, he was wearing a sleeveless vest with a short-sleeve shirt. However, when he arrived, he took off his vest and laid over the chair he was sitting in, his sweatpants still miraculously clean from his drink, his eyes constantly scanning towards the door, waiting for them to arrive. While he doesn’t want to keep secrets about his nightmares, he doesn’t want his friends to worry. They have enough to worry about. His friends would be filled in one day. Speaking of them, they just entered the restaurant. Grace noticed him raise his mug of cocoa and dragged both the Faunus and the Mistralian over to him. They both let out yelps of surprise at being dragged. Tera was put right next to Ray and he waved hello.

He took another sip of his drink and went a little too fast and burned his mouth. While it was an inconvenience, it did not bother him. However, one thought managed to squirm its way through and dominate his mind; it’s been five years since his accident, not to the exact date, but close enough. It was five years where he thought he would be okay. Five years wondering what he could have done differently. The talk with uncle Qrow came back to him, and he immediately settled.

Many times he wonders if he could change it, the outcome. However, he treasured the times with her. After all, he loved her like a mother. His free hand fingers tapped the table out of nervousness. There was not a pattern, as all three of them looked at him, seeing if he was going to communicate that way. Ray could also use his scroll to communicate if he wanted too. It often took too long to type, so he does not use it.

When he finally looked up, Grace and Tera were trying to look into his eyes. ‘You know, I expected you two to absolutely bomb me with questions,’ he signed as he set his drink down on the table.

That turned out to be the wrong thing to sign. As soon as they interpreted his words, he was being bombarded from two angles about his eyes and various other things, granted they weren’t  _ loud _ , but it felt like sensory overload. He raised a hand and they stopped almost instantly. He pointed to Tera first. She immediately asked, “Do you know what your eyes can do?”

‘Vaguely, but not enough to elaborate. Next,’ he pointed to Grace.

The slate-haired girl beamed, “Do you know how rare your eyes are?”

Ray responded immediately, ‘Extremely. I know of one other person that has silver eyes.’ Nick raised an eyebrow but did not comment. They would meet her eventually.

“Are you going to tell us?” Tera asked, to which Ray shook his head.

‘I would tell you, but I am fiercely protective of her. To the point, I would probably be the dirty one to keep her pure,’ Ray signed to the females at the table. ‘Anyway, are you excited for Signal?’

“Aww, but we have more questions?!” Grace pouted, and if Ray had not been exposed to Ruby’s puppy dog pout, then he would have caved, but the previous statement was false. He was exposed to Ruby’s pout, and it worked most of the time.

Okay,  _ all _ the time.

‘Fine,’ he relented, ‘but save them for later.’ Ray signed to the table.

Both girls glanced at one another before looking at Nick, who nodded. Ray narrowed his eyes and waited for the question. “What happened to your voice? Since your emotional freakout in Forever Fall…”

Nick cut in, “You don’t have to say anything, but this has also been my concern for two years. I just never had the heart to bring it up.” Well, when it was said like that, it left him with no options.

While the silver-eyed boy should be upset about this  _ very _ personal question, he isn’t. Ray foresees being friends with these three for years and years to come. ‘Put it this way, running from the Fang at eight years old was a bad idea.’ With how three sets of eyes widened, Ray could tell it was not the answer they were expecting. ‘I often wonder why they did not kill me. Forever Fall was where it happened, obviously. Just the trees and leaves and t-the-’ Ray stopped as his eyes grew distant and his hand rubbed over his throat, tracing over the scar.

“They remind you of what you saw that day…” Tera said, but trailed off. Ray nodded. “So, when we went out there, it was the equivalent of walking into the lion’s den?”

‘I would not say it to that extent, but it was me trying to come to terms with my own fears. Maybe one day, I will be able to overcome that fear, but I currently do not have any desire to enter that forest again unless absolutely necessary,’ Ray signed.

Nick knocked on the table, “Follow up question, more out of my own curiosity and concern than anything else, but how did you survive?”

Ray gained a wistful smile, ‘My mom saved me.’

“I thought you were-” Nick was cut off by Ray gently slamming his hand on the table. That was information he was not ready to share. Tera would be the one who could possibly understand it, maybe, but Ray was getting off track.

‘Summer Rose,’ Ray supplied. That answer became immediately clear to the rest of the class.

“The legendary Huntress is your mom?!” Grace all but shouted, gaining a few looks from the other patrons.

‘Yeah, ever since the incident. Became the mother I never knew I needed.’ Ray looked around, ‘Can we move on from this, please?’

Grace immediately brightened, having a topic in mind. “I have news that concerns Signal.” That caught the boys’ attention, “I creamed my dad’s challenge. He must have been off his game, which is really hard to do, and I took my chance. My application was filled out for weeks now, but he finally just turned it in. Tera had hers in right after. Now, we just have to wait for the deadline.”

Congratulations were shared and to celebrate they ordered food after an hour of just chatting. All four children were happy to be in each others’ company. The conversation switched to other light-hearted topics, but even Ray could see the glances he was getting from his friends. They were worried about how much it was affecting him underneath the surface. This was something he would eventually sort out on his own. For now, he could just relax with his friends and enjoy the prospect of becoming a Huntsman. Just like her.

* * *

The adults all met at different times throughout the week, at Tai’s house. Ruby and Yang were busy at a friend’s place, just for a few hours. It allowed a chance to figure out what the four children were up to. The first thing that Tai said was, “We know they’re lying, right?”

A gruff ‘hmm’ was his answer. Mrs. Wynn, or Mae, just rolled her eyes. She was always the overly-dramatic one. “We know they went outside the Kingdom, but why?”

Jackson Briggs leaned forward at the table, “Do you think he’s unlocked his eyes?”

Tai scoffed, “No way, Summer never told him about them, but he never understood why his eyes matched hers, yet he is not our biological son. We adopted him when he was eight. The previous foster parents were almost  _ gleeful _ at giving him up.”

“What if he did?” Mae asked.

Tai’s voice turned hard, “Then we would need to have a serious conversation.”

Both Mae and Jackon looked at the blond man with interest. He never gets  _ serious _ like this unless it concerns one of his kids. “Still, I found it odd that it looked like Grace had a question, but never asked me.”

“I could only guess what she was going to ask you about. Didn’t you say you had another child running about your house? How’s Serena dealing with her?” Mae asked the Huntsman next to her.

“Yes, Tera Rowe,” Jackson confirmed. Mae’s eyes widened, and so did Tai’s.

Tai let out a long breath, “Blacksmither’s daughter? I assume that’s a story for another time.”

Jackson nodded sternly, the man’s eyes conveyed how proud he was for her to show up in his life. “As for the missus, she adores her. Treats her like Grace, as a daughter. Best thing to ever happen to my family, that girl. From what I knew, her home life was very… detached.”

Both adults present did not comment on that particular issue. “Back on topic, are we confronting the kids about their escapade outside the Kingdom?” Mae asked the two Huntsmen.

“Personally, I’d much rather spring it on them when they least expect it, give them a good scare,” Tai suggested with a small chuckle.

“Or we can just confront them about it so they do not try to get away with it again,” Mae said with an elaborated eyeroll.

Tai regarded the librarian, “Where are they now?”

Jackson smirked, breaking the tough façade that he had constructed, “I don’t just let my daughter go anywhere. I have a tracker in her scroll.” That gained some looks from the adults. “Just because I trust her to not make stupid decisions does not mean I do not love her any less.”

“Wow. Who knew ole Jackie had a soft spot?” Tai joked.

“Watch it, Tai,” Jackson warned, a gleam coming to his eyes. To which the blond pacified. “Let’s go have a chat with our children.”

* * *

“They are totally going to find out about our excursion,” Tera said in a sing-song voice, her accent coming out full force.

‘It could be worse, it could have been your idea,’ Ray signed to the Mistralian. The Cobra Faunus looked to Ray. ‘Yes, I am taking responsibility if they do come for us.’

“Risking not getting into Signal, because uhm, you know the man,” Nick countered.

Ray let out a thin smile, ‘He could try, but I also found out that other teachers are impressed with the application, but not because of Tai, but because of what he said.’

The slate-haired girl spoke up actually catching the words that Ray had signed, “You really want to take the fallout for this?”

‘Means you three will have an easier time to get into Signal if you are not under any sort of… trouble?’ Ray signed unsurely to which his silver eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Punishment?” Nick asked after a few seconds of silence, to which Ray put a finger on his nose and pointed at Nick, meaning he was correct.

Grace looked over Nick’s shoulder and her grey eyes went wide and her face pale. “Not to alarm anyone, but all of our Parents/Guardians are approaching us… like right now.”

Nick turned and his face went pale, as least, as well as a lukewarm-blooded Faunus could. Tera was one of the only ones to retain some color in their face. Ray slipped on a neutral mask. ‘What is up, Tai?’

The adult didn’t buy the act, “Drop it Ray, we know you were outside the Kingdom.” Every child flinched at the calmness carried by the tone. Normally, Tai’s cobalt eyes were filled with warmth, giving off an easy-going vibe. Now, they were sharp, guarded, and if Ray was honest, unrelenting.

“Do not bother with lying to us,” Mrs. Wynn said looking pointedly at Nick, not in disappointment, but out of concern.

‘It was my idea, Tai. I wanted to show off our Semblances to each other because we all want to go to Beacon, eventually,’ Ray signed to the trio of adults. ‘I convinced them to go outside the Kingdom to Forever Fall, where we would not be disturbed.’

Tai raised a singular eyebrow, “You? In Forever Fall?” His voice went concerned, “And you were one hundred percent fine with it? Nothing drastic happened, right?” 

Ray had the decency to look away and slightly shiver as the memory came back to him. ‘Nothing  _ too _ drastic. I ended up attracting a few Grimm, which were thankfully taken out by the auto-turrets.’

Tai sighed and got down on one knee to look Ray in the eye, “Ray, what have I told you about going outside the Kingdom?” Ray did not answer. “Ray Rose-Xiao Long O’Connor,” Tai’s voice went stern and that got the boy’s attention. Unbeknownst to the father and adopted son, the other parents’ eyes widened before they looked to each other.

In the midst of their conversation, “Did he just say O’Connor?” Jackson asked Mae. 

“I believe so. You don’t think…” Mae was cut off as Jackson mumbled something incoherent under his breath.

He turned back to his girls who looked like they wanted the ground to swallow them up, “Was it really his idea?”

“Dad, it was his idea that we meet up every week to talk. Of course, he would eventually want to go outside the Kingdom. We tagged along. We stayed close to the wall, just out of sight,” Grace explained to her dad. She knew he was protective of her, and by extension, Tera. Tera’s amber-orange eyes darted back and forth as the father and daughter bickered. The Mistralian’s eyes then drifted over to the Faunus and librarian. She had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, seeming to have recovered from the blond man’s usage of Ray’s name.

“Nothing major happened, Mrsss. Wynn. Sure, it could’ve gone smoother, but we wanted to go outside the Kingdom and none of us had the gall to actually follow through with it, except Ray,” Nick was not going to let them get into trouble, and they agreed to make Ray the scapegoat.

The librarian only gave a hum as her acknowledgment, but the woman’s mind was reeling.  _ Could that boy…? _ Never mind that, “Your punishment is you are not allowed to meet up with them for two weeks. That means by your Scroll too. If he comes to the library that is fine, but you are not allowed to leave with him. Am I understood?”

“Y-Yesss Ma’am,” Nick stuttered and that was when Mrs. Wynn realized her mistake.

She got eye level with him before she asked, “Nick, sweetie. Listen to the sound of my voice, I am not going to hurt you. I do not want to harm you, okay? Nick, can you please look at me?”

The young Faunus ever-so-hesitantly looked back up at his Guardian. “Sssorry, just got lost in memories.”

The librarian opened her arms up, offering a hug, to which he graciously accepted, “I refuse to be the one to push you away. I love you like my own son.”

“Love you too,” his reply was muffled into her shoulder.

Once released from the hug, Mrs. Wynn stood up, “So, what’s our final verdict?”

Tai let out a long, tense sigh. “I would prohibit them from doing anything, but if I learned anything from Yang is that she will do anything, even if it means getting into even more trouble than its worth, I’d say just tell them to not wander outside the Kingdom.” Tai looked directly at the other three, his eyes becoming stern again, “If you  _ do _ go outside the Kingdom, then at the very least, let one or  _ all _ of us know, so we can either come get you or have someone go make sure you are alright.”

“Wow Tai, being a parent has really changed you. I remember you used to be so… free.” Mrs. Wynn said teasingly.

Tai barked out a laugh, “Raising three kids does that to you.” Unknown to everyone else, there was a deep-seated pain behind those blue orbs of his. Ray saw it too and threw his tiny arms around the man who became his adoptive father. Tai smiled, already knowing what he was doing. “Thanks, Ray-Ray.”

Jackson spoke, “No meeting for two weeks, Girls. Scroll communication is fine, but as Tai said, if you decide you want to go outside the Kingdom, let us know  _ first _ . Are we clear?” the last question was said to all four children.

“Crystal!” “Cryssstal” ‘Crystal’ Three separate forms of voice responded. Jackson simply nodded and turned to leave, Mae and Tai following along. Tai told Ray to be home a bit earlier tonight.

When the adults were all out of earshot, Nick turned towards his friends, “I expected that to go a lot worse.”

‘“Ditto,”’ replied the trio.

* * *

Everything has spun out of control. Nothing was the same and everyone was completely out of whack. The semester for Signal was in a couple of weeks, on a Wednesday. Nick, Ray, and Tera all have enrolled, but they refuse to go without her. They go together, or not at all. So, after they got their scolding from their adult, they decided to do anything that allowed Grace to get in. Her father had not turned in the application yet, but she knew it was filled out. They sparred with her constantly, each one of them giving her a different challenge to beat. When two of them weren’t sparring, they sparred with each other. Sometimes, Ray won. Sometimes, Nick won. Sometimes, Tera won. They learned to not choose a forest as a battleground after the second time.

Still, there were times that Grace came so close to beating her friends but they would turn it around her. However, over that time, she would observe their strategies and try to counter, and counter she did. First, it was Tera. The problem was she couldn’t let her touch the ground to activate her semblance and to keep her in an open area. Their fights usually took the longest because of the fact she would be up a tree and then Grace would be swatted away like a fly.

Nick just straight up slows her down or speeds himself up but she still struggles to fight him, and that’s because his Semblance was broadly defined, that there is nothing he is specifically good at. Currently, the two were locked deep into a spar in the Briggs’ backyard. Tera was currently lounging in a tree reading up on a weapons magazine. Since she is the RBC’s daughter, now self-estranged, she wanted to think about her weapons that she will eventually make at Signal. Each one of them has a design in mind, but along the way, the desire for that specific design will change. 

Fortunately for Grace, Ray was willing to help her by distracting Nick so she can win, because they all want her to make it in, and her father was not making it easy. He was probably still a little bit upset at her escapade a few weeks ago. The slate-haired girl couldn’t blame him. She would be upset if she found out her child went outside the kingdom without her permission.

With a quick distraction from Ray, Grace went in for the kill. ‘Kill’ being the end of this spar. She leaped through the air and landed a double kick on Nick’s chest. Her ankle booties gave her an edge as he was pushed back and his Aura faded. From the spot he was laying on the ground, “You cheated, bro. That’sss no fair.”

‘No such thing as cheating in battle, Nick,’ Ray signed to which Nick conceded the point. No one will play fair in a battle. ‘This is not stopping you from interrupting my spar with her.’

“Oh just you wait, this will be interesting,” the Cobra Faunus said, accepting the hand extended by Ray. “Grace, you are improving and just from this, these entrance examssss to Beacon will be cake by the time we get to them.”

Grace flushed, and not from the heat from the spar. She looked genuinely embarrassed before her father came into the backyard clapping slowly. “Well done, Gracie. You’ve certainly improved.”

“Hey Dad,” Grace said, panting slightly, some loose strands of her hair now sticking to her face. Today just so happened to be a cooler day in the Kingdom of Vale.

“Well, I do have news for you,” Her father pulled an envelope out from under his arm and it had the Signal insignia on it, addressed to one Grace Briggs.

Grace squealed and snatched the envelope out of her father’s hands. She tore off the top seal of the envelope and immediately dug out its contents. A singular piece of paper was the sole focus of the slate-haired girl. Her grey eyes scanned the document once, twice, thrice before letting out an even louder squeal. Ray was sure it could rival Ruby’s. “Quando hai fatto questo? Pensavo avessi detto che non ero pronto?!”

Jackson smiled at his daughter, then at the other three children that flocked around her, all of them peering at the paper clutched in his daughter’s hands. “I’ve seen your progress. You are definitely ready for Signal, and have been for some time.” The man’s gaze flicked to Ray, who was still reading over the paper before he latched an arm around her and gave her a squeeze and a wide smile. Nick had belted out a loud  _ whoop _ and hugged Grace, picking her slightly off the ground, shaking her. Tera, the last of the three, gently hugged Grace and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Sono così orgoglioso di te, piccolo.”

Once Grace was let down from her hugs and affections from her friends, she ran and leaped into her father’s arms, her eyes filled with happy tears, “Grazie mille, papà. Ti amo.”

“Ti voglio bene anche io, Grace,” her father whispered into her ear, kissing the top of her head. “Now, go inside and shower, you stink.”

Once her father went back inside, they all celebrated by heading out to Vale for a celebratory bowl of noodles. They earned it, and now they all had something to look forward to. They were not going to be separated like they all secretly feared. They cared about each other, they never wanted to leave each other behind. Each one of the four kids all had a goal in mind, and their goals coincided with one another. They all wanted to be Huntsmen and Huntresses, but they each had their own reasons for doing so.

Every single Parent and Guardian of the four got the letters at the same time, except for Tai, since he was a teacher, but he let the other parents know first.

Once they settled into their normal routine, the weapons talk came up. None of them were exactly sure, but that did not seem to stop them from coming up with outlandish ideas, and considering Remnant was far from normal, this was a surprise to them all. Tera, however, had a surprise for them all. She slipped away during the meal and came out with a large black case. Since they were on a weapons talk, the three of them thought she had it built already. While the Mistralian assured them that it was not her weapon, even though it would be the base for it later down the line, she wanted to show her appreciation. Tera was well-versed in her bass clarinet, as she has expressed during the children’s numerous conversations, but she has never played for them, not even Grace. Her family had bought her one, special ordered from Mistral’s finest. The manufacturers knew that Tera would have wanted one and they sent it free of charge. They were some of the few who knew of the girls’ existence. The girl was touched by the gesture. They knew that the Rowe family had bought one of these for someone, but they did not know who. “Are we finally going to get to see these ‘mad skillz’ that you were talking about?” the Faunus asked his friend.

“Yes, but if you keep talking, then you might not, Jiǎ,” Tera gently chided. She collected her bass and meandered her way up to the open stage. Eyes followed her but she paid them no heed. Tera did a few quick scales to warm herself up before she delved into a harmonious melody. Jazz music never felt so right. The swings, the pitch, and the notes were woven together like a high-class dance. The jazz program that Tera has was playing the filler instruments so it sounded just like a quartet was playing, yet it was only her. Tera seemed really into it, like this would be her job, if not for her dream to be a Huntress. The three children were all proud of her, and of themselves. They did not imagine having met the way they did, but they were all the more glad for it.

As for the Mistralian, she was enjoying herself immensely. Her message was clear: she was proud of what they’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. The four of them came from different walks of life. They’ve each suffered their own unique hardships. They all have come together as four souls. Tera didn’t realize that she had the entire restaurant’s attention as she finished. When she opened her eyes, she flushed, but thankfully her skin complexion hid most of it. Nick was on his feet whistling in support. Grace had tears of happiness running down her face, again. Ray was clapping out a message, ‘{This suits you. Nice job.}’

Tera flushed even more, but that did not stop Grace from exploding out of her seat and wrapping the girl in a hug basically screaming her thanks. “Well. I did want to make sure you felt welcome.”

“I’ve felt welcome for a long time, Tera. Now, we only have a week until our first day!” Grace said as she got back to her seat, along with Tera. The boys were giving her praise for playing and Nick asked where she got her inspiration from.

“Come on, you don’t just play that out of the blue. There hasss to be something that made you  _ want _ to play,” Nick pushed her shoulder teasingly.

The brunette chuckled nervously, “I’m just happy at how our friendship bloomed into something more. I honestly feel like you two are my brothers, and Grace my sister.”

That simple admission was enough to make Ray feel accomplished and full. He’s already got two sisters, so what’s two more? That and Nick feels like a brother and has been for a few years now. ‘I’m so glad to have met you all.’ There were tears in his eyes, threatening to spill. Tera pulled the mute boy into a hug first, then Grace, and Nick last, slapping him on the back. Ray returned the gesture.

Now, they had to prepare for the next chapter in their lives, “So, what do we have to bring to Signal? Notebooks, pencils, pens, stuff for like a normal school year?” Grace asked, which prompted them to pay for their meal and rush out the door. They all decided to race to the nearest store to start their window shopping list.

As they ran through the streets, each one of the kids had one-word pass through all of their thoughts,  _ Family. _ They felt like a family, a dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Italian (Valisian)
> 
> Quando hai fatto questo? Pensavo avessi detto che non ero pronto?! = When did you do this? I thought you said I wasn't ready?!
> 
> Sono così orgoglioso di te, piccolo. = I’m so proud of you, little one.
> 
> Grazie mille, papà. Ti amo. = Thank you so much, Dad. I love you.
> 
> Ti voglio bene anche io, Grace = I love you too, Grace.
> 
> Chinese (Mistralian)
> 
> Jiǎ = Dummy


	7. Ready, Set...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may notice three authors and why yes, my two friends Anubis and Deviss have joined me on this adventure with OCs of their very own. More on them in later chapters.
> 
> For later, expect some things when they hit Beacon, for now though, Signal is on the horizon.
> 
> I also apologize for not letting anyone know the text formats (Such a bad author Horus)
> 
> "Standard text" = Talking
> 
> 'Sigh' = Ray or others Signing.
> 
> '{Insert text}' = Morse Code

Today was the day that they’ve waited for. They have waited for the next chapter in their lives. They were going to Signal Academy in two days, where they would spend the next four years of their lives. Still, they would go home after every day, but that does not mean it would be the same. Throughout the past week, the children discussed living arrangements. Ray asked Tai if they could crash there since they would save on traveling back and forth and that Signal was located on the island of Patch. Tai gave the boy a serious look before laughing out loud. He told Ray that they could come anytime and whatever made it easiest for them, as long as the other parents were okay with it as well.

‘So, that was a lot easier than I thought,’ Ray signed to the trio after they got off the boat in Patch harbor.

Tera scoffed and gave him an incredulous look, “You really thought he was going to outright reject the idea? You’ve been living with him for five almost six years and you thought he would shoot this down?” Ray’s look of guilt was Tera’s answer before she lightly punched his shoulder, “You obviously do not know him as well as you think you do. From what Grace’s dad says about him, he was always accepting, easy-going, but stern when he needed to be.”

“On the bright side,” the Cobra Faunus interjected, “we will hopefully not get sick of each other, otherwise this will be an awkward four years. Think of it this way, this will only prepare us for Beacon when we enroll.”

The mute boy had to give his agreement there. If they could live like this, then Beacon would be a piece of cake. The slate-haired girl asked one clarifying question, “So, was it a yes or a no?”

‘It was yes. So, you may want to start packing up,’ Ray clarified for Grace. ‘What weapons do you all have in mind for when we get there?’

Tera answered first with confidence, “I have thought about mine for a few days and I have taken it upon myself to doodle some designs. I will definitely be using my bass clarinet as its natural form, but as to what it does… I have yet to come up with something solid. What about you Grace?”

Grace’s eyes brightened, “I have been thinking about a Crossbow of some kind, maybe something else, but I’m also partial to a rifle of some sort. Nothing really solid. What about you, Nick?”

The Cobra Faunus hissed in thought, “I’ve got nothing for now. Maybe when we actually make our weaponsss, an idea will come to me. Ray, I know you’ve been thinking about it for a while now.”

Three pairs of eyes turned to the silver-eyed mute boy, ‘I do know that I want their natural forms to be wrists guards.’ He gestured to his wrist to prove his point. ‘As for what I want as the _actual_ weapon, I have not decided. Similar to you, Grace, a rifle of some sort does pique my interest, but like everyone else, I have not truly set my heart on anything.’

“Are you talking about weapons?!” A tiny voice screeched from the group’s left. It was Taiyang with both Yang and Ruby. The silver-eyed girl was excited at the mere mention of weapons. Ruby suddenly sprinted forward and collided with Ray’s open arms, knowing she wanted a hug, and the second reason was to stop her from going wild on his friends.

“We were, as every student at Signal is required to forge their own weapons,” Grace supplied to the younger girl. “None of us have any solid designs in mind, plus the fun would be forging it just from our hearts.”

“Sssap,” Nick teased from the other side.

“You got any better ideas, Scales?” Grace taunted. Nick grinned in return. That has been the nickname that she always calls him. After she let it slip once, she apologized, but Nick didn’t actually mind being called that. It felt personal and letting your friend tease is okay. As said before, Nick has been called worse.

“Yeah, having an idea about them before we get there,” Nick shot back.

The blonde-haired girl spoke up, “Do not let Ruby talk to you about weapons. She could go on for literal hours, trust me. I know she has.”

“Heyyyy!” Ruby whined at her sister’s teasing.

“Now before you all start an all-out brawl, I will say that you will not be forging your weapons in the first few months. There will mostly be academic work, because your education of the world is just as important as the practicality,” Tai said, addressing the six children in front of him.

“We understand and uh, thank you for letting us stay here for the time being,” Grace said, fiddling with her hands.

“It’s no problem at all, Grace. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing with your friends…” Tai paused before shaking his head. “Make yourselves at home.” Tai gestured to the cabin. They must have zoned out to not notice they had arrived.

Tera, Nick, and Grace thought it was pretty cute to live out here in the forest. They could just walk around the corner and see Patch’s main square from the hill. They would definitely be spending time there.

‘I will show you to the guest room. Nick, you will room with me since it is nothing we have not done before. I have enough room. Grace, Tera, you two will be sharing the guest room. Is that acceptable?’ Ray explained to his friends. Once he heard their agreements, they all began to head inside. Ray first, then Tera, and then Nick. Grace was about to enter the house but...

“Grace, a word?” Tai stopped the slate-haired girl.

‘You better not embarrass her, Tai,’ Ray warned. ‘I happen to enjoy her company.’

Tai mischievously smirked, “No promises, but this will only take a second.” Grace shuffled nervously on the balls of her feet, her eyes darting everywhere but Tai. The man laughed at her obvious nerves. “Relax, you’re not in trouble. I just have one question.”

“W-What is it?” Grace asked, cursing herself for stuttering.

“Were you in the Emerald Forest around six years ago?” Tai’s blue eyes observed the girl’s reaction.

Grace’s eyes widened and her voice came out small, “Yes.”

“So it was you who she saved,” Tai hummed loud enough for Grace to hear.

Grace’s mind scrambled to understand before she spat out, “The Legendary Summer Rose saved me that night? She smelled like...” Grace’s thoughts then shot to Ruby, and how similar she looks… “How did I not realize it sooner?”

“You were young, I don’t expect you to remember it. You were not the only one she saved from the forests,” Tai added.

“I never got to thank her for saving me,” Grace mumbled, looking crestfallen.

Tai put a comforting hand on her shoulder, “I think before you leave, you should ask Ray to go meet her.”

With that, he walked inside leaving the slate-haired girl confused and befuddled.

* * *

  
  


Shortly after that, Grace felt like she was treading on eggshells around the Rose-Xiao Long household. She was in the house of her savior, someone who saved her from a life-threatening situation. She should be excited about Signal, but right now, she did not have her wits about her.

It did not take too long for someone to notice and it was the one person she least expected, Ruby. “Hey uhm, Grace, right?” The crimsonette’s voice was small like she felt awkward.

“Yeah,” she replied, still not looking into the mini clone of her savior. She doesn’t know why she was making such a big deal out of it, but her mind was trying to comprehend what Tai had said. Currently, Yang, Nick, and Ray were playing some fighting game or something close, or maybe it was a racing game. She was getting off track. She looked over to see Ruby’s silver eyes locked onto her. It was like looking into a mirror. She could see an older Ruby and that would be her mother.

“Are you alright?” The girl titled her head as she asked the question and it made her look downright adorable.

“Y-Yeah, just thinking back to six years ago when I was in the Emerald Forest. I remember being saved by an amazing Huntress,” Grace whispered like she was telling a secret.

She did not get an immediate response and that was when she saw Ray making Ruby move so he could take her place. ‘What is on your mind, Grace?’

Grace rubbed her sweaty hands on her knees before she brought up her hands, ‘Can go outside?’

Knowing what she was saying, he guided her outside the house. Ray saw Tai, who nodded and that was that. ‘Talk to me. What did he say?’ Ray signed to his friend. They walked along with one of the many paths out in the forest. Ray was leading her somewhere, but she didn’t ask.

“I almost died six years ago,” she started, tears already starting to form. “I was in the Emerald Forest and I was running, just because my parents set curfews, and I was sort of rebellious. Somehow, the White Fang caught with me. I tripped, and there was a member, gun ready. They fired.” She hiccuped. “I unlocked my aura and it had broken in that very same second. It was what saved me. However, t-the o-one p-person who s-saved me was S-Summer Rose.”

Ray was attentively listening but paused at her name. ‘So, just like me? She saved you too?’

“Mmmhmm, Tai told me, well, confirmed it. She saved me all those years ago and I never got to thank her.”

‘Well, now is your chance,’ he signed before the forest thinned to a barren cliff where the sealine extended for miles and miles. The grass was still green, but it was slowly dying, the blades of grass slightly turning yellow. Except for one spot. Grace stood there, mouth agape at the area that still seemed to thrive. Her feet did not want to move forward. Ray turned around, smiled, and gestured for her to come closer. She did so with shaky legs. The gravestone had a symbol on it, a rose. When her eyes drifted down to the inscription, she let the tears flow. She had sunk to her knees and covered her face and just cried.

Ray smiled sadly, feeling tears coming to his own eyes. Ray had known that he was not the first child that Summer had saved. He knew that and his heart went out for Grace. The mute boy rested a hand on her shoulder and began tapping, ‘{She saved me too, once upon a time.}’

“Sh-she did?” Grace mumbled through her hands. She took a deep breath before looking up at her friend. Grace does remember him saying that she was the mother he never knew he needed.

Ray nodded before he started signing, ‘She had saved me after I had… kinda sabotaged a White Fang base.’ Grace was now fully paying attention, she remembered reading about that years later, but no one knew what caused it. ‘I had my Semblance for a few weeks before that, but it was not enough. It happened in Forever Fall-’

“That’s why it freaked you out to be there. It reminded you…”

‘It did,’ he continued, ‘I was surrounded by dozens of White Fang members and I was sure that I was going to die. Their leader, or whoever it was, slashed my throat and left me with broken and bruised ribs, and a multitude of other injuries. I was on the door of death when she found me crawling towards the wall. As soon as she got close enough for me to be cradled in her arms, I lost consciousness.’ Ray rubbed the scar on his throat that will forever remind him of that day, and let Grace absorb what she had just been told.

“The White Fang is responsible for you not being able to speak?” Grace asked meekly, glancing at the faint scar on Ray’s throat. Ray shook his head no. Truthfully, Ray blames only the one person, which could be traced back to himself. Grace was going to ask why, but decided not to push the issue, “What happened after?”

‘I woke in the hospital, Summer had offered to adopt me and I eventually accepted after six months of living here. Then…’ he paused. ‘Another time on that line of thought, but now you get your chance. To thank her.’

Skepticism still resided in Grace, “But it’s a gravestone.”

‘I cannot tell you how many times I have asked Summer a question and I somehow get an answer, just try, for me,’ Ray pleaded.

Grace turned around to see the name ‘Summer Rose’ and below it, ‘Thus Kindly I Scatter.’ “Uhm, hi?” Grace looked to Ray, who gestured for her to continue. He assured her that it was not weird to talk to a gravestone. “So, you saved me six years ago, and I never got to thank you. I always asked my dad about it, but he would never tell me anything. Always said that a Huntress happened to be on patrol that night, but now, I don’t believe him.”

Grace looked down at her knees, sighing, “Thank you for saving my life, even though you might say it was a part of your job as a Huntress. I beg to differ. You did so much for this world- for me- and I do not think I could ever repay you.”

Satisfied with her words, she stood and looked to her silver-eyed friend who was signing right at the gravestone. She couldn’t catch everything, but she knew it was a personal thing so she looked away. Ray tapped her shoulder and started walking backward. Grace followed suit.

When they were far enough away, “Why did you bring me there? Not that I’m complaining, but…”

‘I saw someone who needed some closure,’ he responded easily, his eyes misted with tears as well. Whatever he signed to the gravestone, it must have been personal.

“Why did you tell me about your… accident?” Grace was curious as to why her friend that she only knew for a few months, granted those months they all connected in unique ways, but the fact remains.

‘I should be offended by that, but you are my friend, and friends tell each other things. I was going to tell you eventually. Nick already knows most of it. Tera, I will tell her soon. However, I would rather you all be there when I tell her because there are some details that are missing,’ Ray grinned, but it did not reach his eyes.

“Okay.”

Ray clapped his hands together, ‘Let us get back before everyone wonders where we went. Oh, expect Yang to tease you when we get back.’

Now that prompted Grace to raise an eyebrow, “Why?”

‘She assumes that every member of the opposite sex I go off alone with is my girlfriend,’ Ray rolled his eyes at his sister’s nature. Grace laughed boisterously, hands clutching her stomach, her mood minutes ago, forgotten.

* * *

  
  


True to his word, Yang almost immediately started teasing Ray as soon as they walked into the cabin, “Were you getting down?” Ray looked disgusted but said nothing personal. Grace waved him off, but not before blushing at the indication. Their moods were significantly lighter than before, and she felt closer to Ray as a result. The video game was turned off in favor of a movie. Ruby and Tera were sitting on the couch, discussing mundane topics. Nick claimed the single chair as he lazily laid himself across it. Ray saw the movie was some cheesy romance action. The only thing _actiony_ about it was the explosions and even then… not as impressive.

Tai was off in the other room, letting the other parents know that their children arrived safely and they were free to visit any time they would like. The only thing he asked was to at least let him know that they were coming. He was so proud of them all. He was proud of Yang, Ruby, and Ray. Those three kids were something he will never regret ever having or adopting.

The blond Huntsman sighed as his cobalt eyes drifted over to a picture that remained in his room. The picture where she held Yang, but the smile was forced. He stills wonders if any of it was true. Then, his eyes flickered to another photo. He reached for it and took a long look at it. It was Summer, holding a little red bundle, Yang was peering over her shoulder trying to see her baby sister. Those amethyst eyes were twinkling with something he called ‘big sisterhood’. Yang had always wanted a sister and she got one. Tai knew he was not the greatest father around, some would disagree, but with everything he went through, one could not blame his reaction. However, one could blame him for the ripple effect it had on his daughters and son. Tai may not have been all there, but he saw it was affecting Ray as well, he just did not know how much.

There would be times when Ray was playing with Ruby and he would be sitting somewhere away from everyone, absorbed in his own thoughts. Then, out of nowhere, Ruby would come barreling into him, and just for a moment, his eyes would flicker with an unknown emotion, and whatever it was, it would throw his mood wildly around, for lack of a better explanation. There was something there. Tai never did ask, but he was also deep into his own recession. Now, he’s recovered, but the pain still lingers like an itch you can’t scratch.

A bark was heard. Tai looked up to see the resident corgi, Zwei, squirming through the gap in the door and jumping into Tai’s lap. “How ya doing, buddy?” he ran his fingers through the short fur, to which the corgi gave a happy yip. It seemed like he had a sixth sense of detecting people’s emotions. With the topic of emotions, after Ruby would leave Ray, Zwei would replace her. The corgi would hop right into the boy’s lap and curl up right there, giving a few yips and yaps. Ray would then gently ease his fingers through the short fur, with a small content smile on his face, yet his eyes still held that emotion. Tai had always meant to ask him about it, but anytime he would, Ray would shut down for a bit and leave, with Zwei close on his heels. They would return hours later like nothing had happened, and that was the thing; Tai did not know and as a parent, it worried him. There would be a time for him to know what was bothering him.

* * *

Time passed and everyone was getting themselves arranged in their sleepwear. Ruby had already gone to bed, her ‘bedtime’ had passed hours ago, but Tai let this time slide because she wanted to try and interact with Ray’s friends. Meanwhile, Yang had shown Grace and Tera the upstairs bathroom, while Ray showed Nick the downstairs one. When prompted as to why not show the upstairs one, he just shook his head with a glint in his eyes, but had signed, ‘They are girls, they can take forever. After living with Yang, I learned that once she latches her claws into that room, it is not worth getting her out.’

Nick signed back, ‘I see, and how big did you say your bed was?’

‘Have I not told you I sleep like a king?’ Ray raised an eyebrow before traversing the stairs, two to three at a time.

“Did you ssspoil him or something?” Nick asked Tai, who was leaning on the kitchen island, arms crossed over one another.

The blonde Huntsman shook his head, “During his time out on the streets with you,” Nick’s eyebrows rose but Tai continued, “He saved all the Lien he earned to purchase a mattress and bedding for you both, well, any Lien he could save that wasn’t spent on food. He felt like making you sleep on the floor would be… humiliating. His words, not mine.”

Nick nodded but said nothing as he turned around and raced up the stairs following after Ray. Nick found the one door open that had a boy’s touch to it. To Nick, seeing a room with so many dark colors and a few lighter colors. Only then did he find his voice, “You weren’t kidding about the whole ‘lighter colored name, but loves darker palettes’ thing.”

‘I did say it,’ Ray jested as he finished making the bed. ‘This thing will fit like four of us, so we have plenty of space.’

“Didn’t know we got married, Ray. Sssso sssoon too,” Nick joked whilst fanning his face. The result was a pillow to the face. Nick was laughing too much to even say anything else. When he finally got it under control, he slipped to the opposite side of Ray, “You ready for Signal?” There was a confirmation tapped on the bed, meaning Ray was ready. “Nervous?” Hesitantly, there was the confirmation. “Don’t worry, we’ll protect you like you do us.”

Tapped into the bed, just barely audible to the Faunus’ ears, ‘{Thank you}’.


	8. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the first day of Signal Academy is like for the five students. They meet teachers, listen to lectures, and Nick has a run-in with a certain Winchester.
> 
> And I'm not talking about the gun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Signal Academy. Since we know next to nothing about the combat school, I have taken free liberty one this. This is one hundred percent, my headcanon and it will remain that way. With that being said, enjoy GRNT's first day.
> 
> Also, throughout these next few chapters, there will be time skips before they hit Beacon. I personally don't feel like having to write for four years of hypothetical content. I already have three documents in my drafts that are 11k words each and like are pieces of four future chapters and two plot lines.
> 
> I have high ambitions for GRNT.
> 
> Finally, there is a reason why I refuse to call them GRNT in these chapters, but that is for later on. For now, just enjoy the chapter.
> 
> (Reposting this in case you need a refresher.)
> 
> "Standard text" = Talking
> 
> 'Sigh' = Ray or others Signing.
> 
> '{Insert text}' = Morse Code

Dawn rose in the Rose-Xiao Long cabin and everyone was dialed up to eleven. They all piled into the family car. Tai was, of course, driving and Yang took shotgun. In the middle seats were Grace, Nick, and Tera. Ray, however, went to the back seat to sit next to Ruby.

The crimsonette was silently pouting and about three seconds away from clinging to Ray and started to cry. She was happy that everyone was going to Signal, however, she was upset since she didn’t want her older brother to go. It is hard to explain and sometimes, all it takes is a look for Ruby to calm down. The crimsonette didn’t know  _ why _ it worked, but it tied her over until the end of the day. She really wanted to attend Signal as well, but she understood that it was outside of her current physical limitations. That and she wasn’t of age.

The drive through town was filled with idle chatter, the three in the middle were excited to see a training academy for the first time. Yang and Ruby have seen it before when Tai allowed them to come with him to work, even letting them sit in his classes, so long as they behaved. Yang was turned around making conversation with them as well, but her lilac eyes were drawn to the back seat, where she saw Ruby’s arms wrapped around Ray’s middle, her head on his shoulder. Ray had wrapped an arm over her shoulder and with his other hand resting on his thigh. A slight frown made its way onto the blonde’s face, her eyes now focused on his hand on her shoulder, tapping something. Whatever it was, Ruby’s smile was something to go by. Yang’s frown faded with a soft smile to her younger siblings.

“Alright, you five. We’re here, and don’t hold your breath, when you see Beacon, this will be nothing,” Tai said from the front seat, pulling into a parking spot, designated for staff.

Turns out, he was right. It looked like a normal building from the outside, and sometimes, that could be deceiving to the naked eye. However, those that know what is on the inside, can see that it is more than meets the eye. Once all of the children piled out of the clown car, they all suddenly acquired a case of the nerves. This was it, they would start their career as soon as they step through the door.

The doors did  _ not _ open with a flourish like they all secretly hoped. Yang took it in stride and entered the building. “Come on, we gotta get our schedules!”

“Not to worry, children,” Tai said, producing his scroll before gesturing for theirs. “I can give you your schedules on your scrolls with a simple tap.” Each child produced their scroll and subsequently got their schedules. Tera’s and Nick’s schedules were the same, maybe a class off. Ray’s, Yang’s, and Grace’s were the same throughout. Compared to each other, they all had a couple of classes together. They had lunch together, and a free period, but other than that, the two groups won’t see much of each other, much to their dismay.

“It could be worse,” Yang said, noticing their downcast looks. “We could have been all separate.”

“Fair,” Nick conceded before shooting a glance at Ray who still had the ten-year-old girl curled around his free arm. Certainly, there was something there, but Ray wasn’t looking at Nick, he was looking at Ruby. The eye contact was one thing, but the subtle facial expressions were worthy of note. They seemed to be talking to something akin to twin telepathy, despite Ruby being two years his junior.

Grace took a long look at the colors of the hallway. It was olive green, with another green that was several shades lighter, maybe something close to neon, but not quite. Either way, it actually worked for the design. There was something missing though… and it seems that the slate-haired girl was not the only one to catch on to it.

The Mistrailan looked around at the empty hallway and brought up the point, “So where is everyone else?”

Tai seemed to have anticipated this question as he began to explain, “Now, we are here early because I have to get Ruby home and-”

“But I wanna stay here! IwannahelpandeveryonewantstometobesafebutIwannabeaHuntresstoo!” the crimsonette rambled and pouted. 

To which Ray used his hands to sign, ‘You do need to go home, Ruby. When we get home, we will watch your favorite movie, okay?’

“Okay,” she accepted without further complaint. Everyone just stared at the silver-eyed pair. “What?”

Yang was the first to react, “How did you do that?! Normally when I try to reason with her, it involves us fighting!”

‘I am just that good,’ Ray replied smugly. Truth be told, Ray doesn’t know himself, all he does know was that he can usually pacify Ruby when she speed talks like that with a few simple words. Tai even thanked him for it, Yang seemed to be a little envious of it. She just wanted him to teach her how to do that.

“Back to my original point,” Tai interjected, “you’re here early so you can explore the place. The ‘first day’ is usually the most hectic out of any day at Signal. You may want to look at your schedules and figure out the best path to them.”

Ray took a look at his schedule, Ruby still clinging to him so she could view too. Ray had a class with Qrow and Tai, then with a Mr. Bianchi, and a Miss Gorman. Bianchi taught strategy while Miss Gorman taught Dust usage and safety. Tai had said he taught combat class and Qrow taught weaponry. Ruby already was excited to see her uncle hopefully before she left. Ray had already thought of a route to all of his classes, as did the rest of his peers.

Another note to mention was the four teachers on Ray’s schedule were not the only teachers here. There were about three to four in each ‘section’ and there were around three hundred students in a given year, give or take a dozen or two.

“Come on, Ruby, I gotta get you home,” Tai said, trying to coax the crimsonette from her brother. Ruby pouted but reluctantly let go of Ray before walking side by side with Tai. “My class is the third door on the left, just around the corner. Wait there, you all have me for ‘homeroom’.”

With a nod from all of the children, they all went to Tai’s classroom. Yang, a grin present on her face, “Make yourselves at  _ home _ ,” which prompted eye rolls and groans.

“Laammmme,” Nick called out, taking a seat close to the window. Ray took the one in front of him. Grace and Tera just sat on top of two of them. “So besidessss waiting, what are we going to do? I mean, what are we waiting for?”

‘Truth be told, I would explore and search for the forge here, but I have a feeling that our resident dragon knows where  _ that _ is,’ Ray signed to his friend whilst shooting a knowing look to Yang. Thankfully, she caught the look and decided to be responsible for once.

“Ray, I know what you are thinking and no, we aren’t doing it. There are some things I will do but actually going to the forge and messing around with stuff we don’t know how to handle safely? I’m putting my foot down on this,” to add emphasis, she stomped her foot on the floor.

‘Fine, but we will eventually make it there,’ he acquiesced.

* * *

After the ‘homeroom’, they all eventually split off into their next classes. Yang, Grace, and Ray went off to their classes, which today was syllabus day. The trio found out that Miss Gorman was actually excited to teach, almost scarily so. Ray sat across from Yang and Grace. The two girls were in the back of the class. The table was more of a U-shape, so there were multiple angles to look around to.

“Hellloo class~” she said in an overly excited tone. She wore a long dress, which looked like a robe, maybe a corset, that went to her ankles. Paired with heels, she had a formal gait to her posture, but Ray didn’t know positively for sure. The color was something you would find in a little baby boy’s room, or something akin to that. Her chipper tone turned serious, but somehow still carried that upbeat tone, “Welcome to Dust Studies. For the majority of the course, we are going to go over how to safely handle Dust. There will not be anything too complex, and that is not me insulting your intelligence. As a teacher here, I can only bring you so far forward until someone else takes the torch. Now, to start off, who can tell me what Dust is? There are multiple answers, so do not be afraid to speak up.” Her navy colored eyes searched everyone in the room, which was about thirty students. They passed over Ray’s. No one but him noticed her reaction. Her eyes widened a little before going back to her serious teaching demeanor.

_ Not unexpected, but surprising nonetheless _ , Ray thought to himself. He raised his hand, to which he nodded at him. He then looked to Grace and Yang, who he silently asked them to translate. “In fairy tale terms, Dust is our savior. In another term, Dust is a core component of Huntsmen and how they operate,” Yang said.

“Miss Xiao Long, care to explain why you spoke when I called on him?” Miss Gorman asked with a raised eyebrow.

Looking to Ray, asking for permission, he nodded. “Ma’am, he can’t speak. Physical disability,” she explained in the short term.

Seeing her mistake, Miss Gorman apologized, “I see. Mr. Rose-Xiao Long, is it?” 

Ray nodded, and sighed, ‘Either surname works, or you can continue calling me the  _ Long _ version of it.’ Grace translated and Yang could not help but let out a small chuckle.

“You totally just made a pun! That’s my job, Ray!” Yang said with an ear-splitting grin. Ray smirked from his seat.

Ignoring the blonde, Miss Gorman continued, “Very well, Mr. Rose-Xiao Long. As for your answer, you are both correct and incorrect on both accounts. I will give you what you children call ‘props’ on the creative aspect. While it is true, Huntsmen do use Dust in their everyday lives, and it did save our lives during the Great War, but Dust is more than just that.” Another student raised their hand.

“Dust is another piece of our body?” the student said unsurely.

“Warmer,” Miss Gorman replied. When no other students raised their hands, she continued, “Dust is also an extension of ourselves, much like the weapons Huntsmen use, no matter the use whether it be in your own weapon or going old school with Dust-woven clothing, it is something that Humanity and Faunus have used to survive. Now you can expand on this topic in your own mind. However, throughout the year, we will be discussing other free topics like these. Something to get the conversation going. This class is meant to be a general overview of Dust for those who have never heard nor handled Dust before.” Ray playfully rolled his eyes. However, he could feel the stares of the other students on him.

‘{I do believe I am now the target of every student because of my disability,}’ Ray tapped against the desk silently, catching the two girls’ attention. From his seat, he noticed how Yang’s usual lilac irises were now slowly going red. Ray tapped the desk, ‘{Calm down, and take a deep breath, your eyes are screaming ‘Hunter Killer’,}’ He subtly took a glance at Grace who shrugged and turned back to Miss Gorman.

“Now, if there are any other questions, you may use this time to talk amongst yourselves,” Miss Gorman addressed the class. Ray laid back in his seat as both Yang and Grace came to sit next to him as the two people next to him up and left. Once the class all settled down, Miss Gorman walked over to the three children, “So, do you think we are going to have problems with other students about your… disability?”

With a look to Grace, who nodded, Ray signed, ‘I know this. Children are vicious, so something is  _ bound _ to happen. Just do not be surprised if the Dragon gets to them first.’

From the side, “Hey, I’m not  _ that _ protective.”

Two pairs of eyes glanced at the blonde giving them a deadpanned look. “No offense, Yang, but you are super protective of anyone you care for, not that it is a bad thing, but you  _ do _ go overboard.”

“Well, that’s what being a big sis is for,” Yang said wrapping an arm around Ray’s shoulders before squeezing him and ruffling his hair. The silver-eyed boy swatted the offending limb away. He also knew better than trying to touch her hair. Ruby is about the only person that gets to touch it. Ray can too, but only if he asks. Those who have tried have suffered a hospital visit. Yang was not sorry at all.

* * *

Nick and Tera had seemed to have gotten the most boring but informative teacher ever. Mr. Bianchi spoke in a monotone voice, but again, was very informative. The first thing he did in his class was obviously introduce himself, and then the syllabus, and then he started teaching. The teacher wore a white dress shirt and black pants. It, technically, was a three-piece suit, but he took the jacket off and was draped over his desk chair on the left side of the room. The room itself was laid out like a normal classroom. While Nick and Tera were sitting next to each other, there were a few curious eyes on Nick, mostly because his scales were showing. Mr. Bianchi’s jet black hair, while contrasting his namesake, along with his smoky grey eyes were calm as he inspected the room full of potential Huntsmen.

“The first thing about being a Huntsman or Huntress is knowing your foe. In this case, the foe is the Grimm. The Grimm are ferocious, and will not waver when it comes to attempting to end your life.” Most of the class was staring at the man shocked that he would even speak such matters to children. “Do not look at me like that. You all want to be Huntsmen, correct?” Nick and Tera nodded sagely, while others hesitated in doing so. “Then you must expect that the world will not be all sunshine and rainbows.” All throughout the time that Mr. Bianchi was speaking, his tone never changed. It was still the monotone bass voice. It didn’t perturb the Cobra Faunus and Mistralian. They knew that the world was not as innocent as they wanted it to be. They both had two accounts for that.

Mr. Bianchi’s smoky eyes landed on the two students looking back with determination and steeled resolve. The teacher thought to himself that these two would stand out amongst the others, and from what rumors have floated about, there was a certain student with the most curious eyes. Information filed away for later, he continued to speak about strategies to take down Grimm. Mr. Bianchi could have easily gone into the specifics in how to disarm a person, but knows that this was knowledge they would learn later.

“Are there any questions?” A beat of silence from the class as they tried to rationalize and absorb all this information. “I will be giving you a prompt, and each one of you will have a different one. This is not meant to stress you out,” Mr. Bianchi said as he started passing out a single sheet of paper. “Each one of these is meant to be a situation you find yourself in. What I want you all to do is find the best possible way out of it. There are many answers and they are each and all up for interpretation.” When he saw some of them pick up their writing utensils, he bellowed out, “Stop!”

The entire class went silent in shock. Mr. Bianchi cleared his throat before continuing, “What I want you to do is analyze your prompt and think of every possible way to accomplish it. Write them out separately on a different piece of paper. Then once going over every single possible option of every scenario that you’ve come up with, and only then pick the best one. I am  _ not _ expecting any of these on my desk or in my hands until the last day of your fourth academic year, am I understood? This class is about strategy, and some of the things I teach you will be beneficial for this.”

As Mr. Bianchi was explaining, both Nick and Tera shoot each other a look of surprise and again, determination. They were going to definitely talk about it. “One last thing, this is a solo ‘project’ no outside help. You may, however, reveal your prompt to others but nothing more. Since you young minds do like to share anything and everything across the CCT.” Welp, there goes that idea, but they didn’t falter. “This is meant to get your minds immersed in this world, to get you thinking. While other teachers may coddle you, I most certainly will not, at least not to their extent. With that being said, you may have the rest of the time to yourselves,” Mr. Bianchi said as he returned to his desk and pulled out a giant book.

When the all-clear was given, both Nick and Tera gazed at their respective prompts. The Mistrailan’s was certainly out there:  _ You stand at a burning village, bandits are everywhere and two packs of Beowolves and a King Taijitu are closing in. Buildings are collapsing. People are running in fear, what should you do?  _ What a loaded question and Tera immediately thought of five different scenarios.

Nick’s prompt was definitely eye-opening:  _ While exploring a Dust mine, one of the support beams collapse, triggering a chain reaction further down the mine. While trying to extract, a Geist and a batch of Centinals appear and are after the miners you’ve rescued, what should you do?  _ The Faunus scratched his head but thought of three immediate scenarios. There are other questions that could be brought up. There are certainly other factors that have yet to be considered.

When the bell finally rang, Nick and Tera stood up together, spared each other a glance, and shrugged. However, both could see the other’s mind percolating from what was said in class. “That was certainly sssomething,” Nick mused to Tera.

“Definitely,” she responded. “He really expects this to take four years?”

Walking around his desk, Nick shrugged, “I dunno, but it seems like he was laying it on us with how the world works. Ironically, I know how it is, so I do not need him to tell me that.”

Eyebrows raised, “Was it really  _ that _ bad?”

“Without Ray, I would have been dead,” Nick admitted, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

“Then it’s a shame that you lived,” a voice said to Nick’s left. The Cobra Faunus paused and turned towards said voice, his eyebrows raised.

Tera started to get angry. Just because he’s a Faunus doesn’t mean people get the right to pick on them. “Why I-”

Nick cut her off, “No no, go ahead, finish the sentence. I wanna hear this insult. I’ve probably heard it before on a much worse scale.” He snickered once he saw the joke embedded in his words.

“Bottomfeeder, you should’ve stayed on the streets. What did you do? Steal those clothes like you stole an application to this place?” the person said before the sound of a hammer being pulled back reached the Faunus’ ears. While Nick may have an increased hearing range, Faunus hearing is slightly better than a normal Human’s range of hearing. So the click was just barely audible in between this person’s words.

“Mr. Winchester, I will not let you harass your classmates, and there are no second chances with me,” Mr. Bianchi said as the posse of students all looked over to see their teacher with a long rifle sitting idly on his lap. “To the principal's office, or I will make you go there. Apologize to Mr. O’Brien and be on your way.”

Tera breathed a sigh of relief as the teacher stepped in to save the day.

With a grumble, Nick heard an apology, “I’ve heard worse apologies, but it’ll do. Tera, do we share the next class?”

With a quick check to her scroll, “Yeah, we share it with everyone, and it’s with a ‘Mr. Branwen.’”

“Isn’t that Ruby and Yang’s uncle?” Nick asked. Ray had mentioned this ‘Mr. Branwen’ once or twice. “I think his name is Qrow.”

“Crow? Like the bird?”

“I believe it is ssspelled with a ‘Q’,” Nick corrected as they reached the threshold of the door. Before they left, Nick turned towards Mr. Bianchi, “Thank you, but you didn’t have to step in.”

The teacher regarded his student, “Unfortunately, I cannot turn a blind eye to that kind of slander. While I do believe you can handle yourself, let me know if Mr. Winchester tries that again. Now, run along, your next class is in three minutes.”

* * *

Roaming the halls, Yang, Ray, and Grace were all outside Qrow’s classroom. They were waiting for Nick and Tera to show up, and as a result, they got Qrow. “Oh good, you actually made it.”

Yang perked up, “Hey uncle Qrow,” he hugged him tightly, getting the Huntsman to groan.

“Ease up, firecracker,” he said in between the crushing hug. “You really are your father’s daughter. Between the hair, attitude, and strength…”

“Ohh the party’s already started without ussss?” a voice that Ray recognized came from the right.

‘How was your class?’ Ray signed to his friend.

Thankfully, Tera had picked up some more ASL, “Probably the most monotone teacher ever,” she replied. “Did try to give us an eye-opener.”

Qrow spoke now, “Did he do the ‘sunshine and rainbows’ spiel?”

“Yup,” both the Faunus and Mistralian said in unison, even popping the ‘p’.

“Bianchi has done that for the past fifteen years, I shouldn’t have expected anything different. Well, at least  _ I _ won’t be monotone, you’ll get to learn about weapons.”

“Yeah!” Yang pumped her fist in the air.

“Before I forget, were there any problems?” Qrow said unlocking the classroom door and turning on the lights.

“Got called a bottomfeeder, was accused of ‘stealing an application and clothes on my back’,” Nick said nonchalantly.

Ray’s eyes hardened, ‘Who was he?’ signed at the same time Yang proclaimed, “I’ll make him regret it!” Her normal lilac eyes flashed red before struggling to maintain said color. It looked like her emotions were constantly in flux.

Nick waved his hands in a polite manner, dismissing their concern, “Remember, I’ve heard and seen worse, plus Mr. Bianchi actually threatened him, weapon and everything.”

Grace piped up, “I think it is safe to assume that you had the more interesting class?”

“Who was the guy?” Qrow asked.

“Lassst name was Winchester,” Nick replied curtly.

Qrow swore under his breath, making the five children raise an eyebrow, “Pardon my French, but the Winchesters are bigots and quite literally, terrible people, but they aren’t like the Schnees.” There was a pause, “Some of them are bad, some of them are… not so bad,” Qrow mused. There was definitely something longing in his maroon eyes. Ray didn’t know, but it must have been some woman, or man if he’s into that.

“The one I met wasn’t bad,” Tera spoke up.

“Which one did you meet?” Qrow inquired, genuinely curious.

The Mistralian replied just as quick, “Weiss.”

Qrow seemed to ponder that before nodding, “Ahh, mini Ice Queen.” Once again, the children were left once again pondering what he meant. Tera didn’t elaborate further either, but Grace knew how that situation went. “Well then,  _ students _ , you may want to take your seats. I start in five minutes.”

Ray signed to Nick, ‘But did the bell just ring three minutes ago?’

The Faunus signed back, ‘Yes, but at least this change of pace. Trust him, you see?’

Ray nodded back, broken sentences aside. He knows they are trying, and he knows that they won’t be perfect. It warms the silver-eyed boy’s heart that they try. Even when their sentences are missing a word or two, it isn’t hard to fill in the gaps.

True to his word, he did indeed start in five minutes. “Alright, I’ll make this quick. You are all here to become Huntsmen. You all need a weapon, and you all think I’m going to let you go into the forge and go crazy, right?” Many students nodded and got all excited before Qrow shut the metaphorical door on them.

“Wrong. There are tons of safety measures that you need to know before even  _ starting  _ to build your weapons. And I, in good conscience, will not risk your lives over something that could easily be avoided,” Qrow said in the most serious voice that the kids have ever heard. Of course, some know him better than others.

One person raised their hand, Qrow nodded, “When  _ will _ we get the chance to build our weapons?”

“So confident; Careful with how much confidence you have, but to answer. You will have to have the approval of your other teachers. While I simply guide you through the process, they have a say in it too. Do not piss off your teachers, we can sometimes be spiteful when we hear students being less than… tolerable. So, do yourselves a favor, and do  _ not _ test us, because that’s our job.” Qrow was utterly serious. Again, a far cry to what he normally was. That meant he took his job seriously.

Yang was grinning in her seat, she already had drilled these ‘safety measures’ into her brain. She already had an idea of what she wanted her weapon to be, modeled after her father’s. She just needed their ‘approval’.

None of the other four children knew this, but they had a feeling they would get the approval shortly after. Probably after they catch Yang working on hers. Qrow continued to speak, “Now, weapons aren’t just weapons. They are a part of you, and they are what makes a Huntsman unique. What I want you to do is get a sketchbook of some kind, it could even be on a normal piece of paper, and draw a design for what you  _ want  _ your weapon to be. I don’t care if you’re artistic or not, just bring a Mark I design. Then throughout the year, we will be discussing the pros and cons of making them. Am I understood?” His arms were crossed and he was not going to be dealing with any crap.

Everyone nodded, and some spoke with sounds of confirmation, “Good, now, you have the rest of the class to do whatever you teenagers do.”

The five children all turned towards each other, and Nick was the first to speak, “I’ll be honest, I have no idea what I will want as my weaponsss.”

‘I have an idea, but it may need to go through a few times,’ Ray signed, frowning at himself. He knew the word he was looking for, but he didn’t know the word, nor could he spell it. Sign language was harder than one might think.

Grace interjected, “Iterations, you mean?” Ray pointed at her with his index finger on his nose like it was charades.

“Already know what mine is going to be. It helps when two of your family members are teachers here,” Yang boasted with a smug grin. They honestly couldn’t blame her. The fact was irrefutable.

Tera spoke now, “Grace and I have ideas as well, and sketching them out will actually help with the process.”

Yang looked crestfallen, “What? No details? No creepy foreshadowing how it’s going to be the best weapon on Remnant?”

A small chuckle escaped the four, “No Yang, foreshadowing is something I’m terrible at.”

Soon enough the bell rang and they went to combat class with Tai, and it went about as one would expect. Full of puns and Dad jokes that only Yang laughed at. However, it wasn’t all bad because by next week they will be able to actually fight each other. It’s like the only place that one could beat up a bully and  _ not _ get in trouble for it.

* * *

After all of their classes for the day, they all returned to the Rose-Xiao Long house. Ruby, expectantly, was waiting for Ray to enter before she pounced on him. Having expected that, Ray had his arms opened as the younger girl collided with him. He only took a step back and felt his Aura take a hit, but made no other movements. “Imissedyouso uchandtodaywassoboringthatIthoughtyouwerelostandIgotscared.”

“Easy little Rubes,” Yang said ruffling her hair.

“Yannnnggg!” Ruby whined before pulling Ray away. “You owe me a viewing of my favorite movie.”

‘Sure,’ Ray nodded, resigning himself to his fate. Nick, Tera, and Grace all watched with a fond expression.

That was when Tai entered in after the children, “So, are you going to tell me about your first day?”

Yang sighed, “You may want to sit down for this.”


	9. Year One is Almost Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dive into the first year at Signal. Learn the ideas of what their weapons will be based on. Building a model of said design, a proof of concept. 
> 
> Ray and Yang have a moment.
> 
> They enter the forge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am slow on the uptake because I want a buffer of chapters so that way I can focus on other stuff. My other projects are probably going to be on hold for a month. (College is still a month from finishing)
> 
> It is also my birthday! I am the big 21.
> 
> Also, in the background, my co-authors and I have written the word count of the culmination of the chapters posted, which is like 47k words or so.
> 
> That's for the future. I have many scenes to write, plots to make, romances to evolve (Yes, those are coming, relax), and characters to further develop.
> 
> Until then...

Days passed like how butter melts. Slow. Each day they went over the same things, but the repetition was helpful. They were all so close to being able to make their weapons, and now, they all had their ideas. The last teacher they all needed permission from was Mr. Bianchi. The stoic teacher that they all know and respect. He has spared no mercy on informing the children of what the world is like. There were some topics that he refused to breach, such as the mutilation of human remains.

Currently, the quintet of students were in Qrow’s class, telling them to continue the designs of their weapons. Some students have gone through seven iterations, others fifty, and some only three. Yang was one of those who only went through three. Ray, Grace, and Tera went through six each.

What made it easier to go through so many designs was the fact that students dropped out. Yeah, it is possible to drop out of Signal Academy. However, the quintet was accelerating past their peers, almost to the point of them skipping a year, but just shy of doing so. Yang had already thought of her gauntlets, named after her dad’s. She was going to name them Ember Celica because Qrow calls her ‘Firecracker’, she might as well be the spark to the flame. The blonde was finishing up her design as she thought about adding greaves to the mix, but her footwork needs to improve before she puts those in. The idea still stands, so she put those aside for later.

Grace was always one for the least direct fighting method possible. She was going for a crossbow. Don’t worry, it’s also a gun, but it’s also a bow, hence the name. The slate-haired girl had her designs laid all out in front of her, her desk space easily covered in pens, pencils, and trashed designs. She needed it to be usable for her purposes now, and then adjust as the years go by. She planned on keeping this weapon, and then hopefully showing it off later down the line. She had to make the dust chamber move with the rest of the weapon if she wanted it to transform. The rotating pieces would clash if they were just a _tad_ too long. She was going to go with dust rounds as well, so she had to account for a magazine slot as well. Then, she wanted to have some gloves that turn into small shields that she can use as a defense, but that was another thing she’ll do after she stops stressing herself out. Putting her pen down, she grabbed a new piece of paper, took the three best-scrapped designs that she liked, and started again.

Ray already envisioned his weapon and how it was going to work. The only problem was putting it to paper. His drawing skills are something to be desired, but they at least look neat enough to pass for _something_ . He wants to have something that did high damage in a short amount of time. A shotgun was the first thing he thought of. Sure a sword would also do some high damage, but at ranges too close for him. That and a slight fear of a sword hovering over his throat steers him away. He didn’t notice his hand was shaking but quickly quelled it down before anyone noticed. He wanted to have the natural form of his weapons to be wrist guards that turned into pistols that can be combined into a shotgun. It sounds _super_ complicated but with the way he wants them to be fashioned he had it down. First, he wanted one to be a small-caliber pistol and one to be a shotgun pistol. Then, through a combining/transforming mechanism, they would become a lever-action shotgun. His silver eyes were glinting with happiness as he saw the design come to his mind. Grabbing a new piece of paper and a marker, he jotted down the specifics he needed. It helped that he was studying weapons and a tinker’s manual with Ruby back home.

Out of the five, Nick was having the most trouble. Not for lack of ideas, no. Cardin keeps bothering him by messing with his tools, changing a setting on said tools, and being a racist pain in the ass. He had just grabbed the ruler and compass that Nick set to the side and tossed it across the room without a care in the world. “You shouldn’t be here,” Cardin whispered low enough for only Nick to hear.

Nick really wanted to slug him and get back to work. He was about to get up and retrieve said tools but luck was on his side this time, “Cardin!”

Cardin looked forward to see Qrow’s eyes on him, “Yes, Mr. Branwen?”

“Mess with any student in my class, you and I can go to the sparring rings and you can get a remedial lesson from me, am I understood?” Qrow said with a concealed sneer.

Cardin paled and nodded, “Y-Yes, Mr. Branwen.”

“Now go get his tools that I watched you throw and place them _gently_ on his desk. Complain and I will stop class and drag you to the sparring room for detention,” Qrow added as Cardin opened his mouth, but promptly shut it.

Cardin grumbled all across the room, picked up the thrown items and put them down on the desk, then sulked back to his own seat. Still, Nick heard a few racist remarks from him, but did not rise to them.

As for Grace, Tera, Ray, and Yang, they wanted to take Qrow’s offer and run with it. It would be so worth the detention. Nick doesn’t bother with him—often he tells them not to worry— because he’s heard it all before. The Cobra Faunus shook his head before pulling out his scroll and looking through the pictures of his previous thirty-six designs. With a unique Semblance like his, he needed a weapon that would compliment it well. This was the hardest part for the young Faunus. Then, the idea came to him like a spark of brilliance. He was going to make claws. The last thing people expected from a snake was claws. They expected fangs, but definitely not claws. Nick crumpled the paper in front of him and threw it to the closest trash bin without looking. When he heard the bag rustle, he grinned in satisfaction. He also needed a gun function, so these claws could turn into pistols and then—after conversing with Ray for an opinion—would have them combine into a small-caliber SMG. Their natural form would rest over his knuckles and extend out. He smiled, his idea was coming together just like he wanted. The best part would be that he could launch them at his opponents and using his semblance, he could control its velocity and make it really hurt. Sometimes, simple is best.

The Mistralian was confident in her design. First off, she wanted it to be a saxophone. Tera had gotten her inspiration because of how many times she wanted to kick her brother out of the woodwind room, killing her jazzy vibe. With one thought on her family and another on the design in front of her, she thought about how big it would be: bass clarinet sized, or alto sax sized? Maybe in the middle? Tera grinned, then smiled as she watched Nick sink a paper wad from halfway across the room. She tapped the table in Morse, {‘Nice,’}. Then, she took out another piece of paper and started designing her little weapon. The best part would be it could, hopefully, function as a normal sax too. If that doesn’t happen, then that’s fine.

“That’s time, kids,” Qrow’s gravelly voice came from the teacher’s desk. He stood up from the desk, “Who thinks they're closer than they were yesterday?”

All four of the kids shot their hands up, along with Yang and a few various other students. Qrow regarded those who had their hands up. He stopped on a few students and made them explain what they had, offered a few improvements, and moved on until he got to all of the kids. Each one explained what they wanted for their weapons, and Qrow couldn’t hide the surprise at the sheer thought at their weapons. When Ray explained his, he just asked Ray to sign it to him. Qrow didn’t think he would go all out and sign quick enough where he had to stop him for just a second. Ray smiled sheepishly but continued at a slow pace. Nick was just happy he got an idea that seemed plausible. Grace grinned as she showed off her design. Tera chuckled as she got bewildered looks from her classmates. She knew it was outside the normal conventional style of weapons, but it would work for her.

“Very good all of you. Now, it’s close to the end of the year, and thankfully, there are no finals in my class. Cause that means I have to grade them. Instead, I want you to build a model of your desired weapon. No, you cannot use the forge,” Qrow paused as he saw the excited faces of some students. It took a well-concealed cough to cover the chuckle that threatened to escape. “Just a small model of one of the forms. I’m not asking for seven models of the same thing. Just one.”

To the students, it was easy enough, just use a woodcarver or foam and the materials at the general store were cost-effective. He wasn’t asking for much. Once class was dismissed, he asked the quintet to stay behind for a moment.

Yang was the first to break the silence, “What’s up, uncle?”

“What? I can’t just talk to my niece and her friends?” Qrow asked with nonchalance.

“I mean, there must be a reason you’ve asked us to stay,” Tera quipped from the side.

Qrow chuckled lightly, “Yeah. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, you five are well ahead of your classmates. Tai notices how much Ray has improved in sparring class. Gorman has noticed that you, Nick, have absorbed a lot of the knowledge she’s taught in a short time, even going beyond the scope of the class. Ray and Yang, you two know your way around weapons when you need to. Grace, you know your strategy, even Bianchi will agree. They’ve taken a keen interest in you five. They’ve already given you permission to use the forge.”

Five pairs of eyes comically widened before they all started to overlap each other. Qrow rolled his eyes before putting two fingers in his mouth and letting out an ear-piercing whistle to silence them. “Good, now listen. You may have granted access, but not officially.” He started to walk away, and the children followed him, curious if he was going to elaborate. “I want you all to swear to me that if you enter the forge, you follow _every_ safety precaution available, understand?” Each child gave a verbal confirmation, sans Ray, who nodded vigorously. “Alright. You’ll have official access tomorrow. For now, head to your next classes and go home.” With that, the dusty old crow left the five students smiling gleefully at one another.

* * *

“This is amazing!” Grace said as she walked with a little extra skip to her step. She was going to be able to start forging her weapon. Her _Huntress_ weapon. How could she not be excited? Of course, she had to make sure that she followed everything to the letter. She couldn’t let this chance slip through her fingers. Tera was visibly more excited than the rest.

“I can’t wait to blast my enemies away with the power of music!” Tera was dead set on her saxophone weapon. The Mistralian was ready, but she also knew that there was a long way to go. Now, all that was left was taking the absurd amount of time designing the pieces and putting them together. Sure, she could use an already built saxophone or bass clarinet, but she wanted to make it from the ground up.

The boys were watching the girls be all excited. Everything was going alright. There was just one piece missing from two of their lives’. Yang and Ray turned to look at each other, an understanding passing between them. Ray subtly moved his head towards the woods, Yang nodded. “You three head back. Ray, I want to talk to you.”

‘You want to fight me?’ Ray purposely mistranslated to prompt the rest of his friends that this was normal.

“Yes, I want to fight you,” Yang deadpanned. Ray ran off into the forest and Yang chased him. She turned around to shout, “Don’t wait up! Tell my dad we’ll be back before dinner!” She jumped into the brush before the three remained behind, walking the trail up to the Rose-Xiao Long house.

“Either of you find that weird?” Tera inquired.

Grace hummed before remembering what was that way, “No, they are just going to say ‘Hi’ to someone.”

“Who?” both Nick and Tera asked in unison.

Grace elected to keep this secret because it was personal so she opted to say, “Someone they both highly respect.” She left it at that, not caring about the inquisitive looks she received.

* * *

Once Ray and Yang were far enough away, they both raced to the cliffside and emerged at the same time. The one person that they both wished could be here was not. They stared at the grave and both silently spoke to her. Yang had her eyes closed, murmuring about her adventures. Ray stiffened as he felt something, before he could even turn around, it was gone.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he always could feel peace here, no matter what was going on in his life. His stress? Gone. His worries? Gone. His insecurities? Gone. The only things that existed were the ground, the stone, the trees, and himself. Among those things, he always felt more of a connection to the stone over the organic material around him. It was like the stone was trying to speak to him. He silently exhaled, just relaxing before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, looking up to Yang’s, “We should probably get home. The other might get worried and come looking.”

Ray could see the underlying tension fade from Yang’s shoulders as he nodded. ‘What? You thought I was going to stay here for a while longer?’

“Not going to lie, but yes, I did,” the blonde responded. She knew how much time he spent out here. She never asked why, and she most likely never wanted to know. If it was what made him be at peace, then she would accept that.

‘I am not that bad, I just… feel so relaxed, like there is nothing on my shoulders,’ he signed wistfully.

“Sure, be all philosophical. Come on before I drag you home,” Yang said, dusting off her clothes.

‘Alright, let us go,’ Ray said, giving a final goodbye before thanking Summer. Without her, he wouldn’t be here. Something he’s thankful for every day.

* * *

Once the two children made it back to the cabin, Tai greeted them and ushered the duo to sit at the table where dinner was served. “Where did you two go?” Tai asked.

“To the edge of the world,” Yang replied vaguely. Tai understood and stared at his daughter in surprise, but relented. It was not often that she goes out there, but when she does, it’s never for a long period of time. He may have Ray to thank for that. He took it hard when Summer left. That day at the hospital was something that the older blond would never forget. Sometimes, when no one was looking, he would see Ray on all of that life support, barely…

Shaking his head, he asked them all about their days. Even though Tai does see them throughout the day, he does not get to catch up with them. “Did anything exciting happen today?”

Tera spoke up, since she was the most excited, “Qrow may or may not have told us we are going to have access to the forge!” her accent slipping in more as a result.

Tai laughed, “That dusty old crow could never keep his trap shut. Have you all decided about your weapons? Yang, I know you have since you were six.” Each one of them nodded in response, each taking a turn to explain what they had and what they wanted. While they were talking shop, Ruby added in her two cents, and everyone could see the prodigy building up inside. Even the crimsonette offered to help them build their weapons.

Ruby does like to go to school, but she wants to be a Huntress all the same. She may or may not have thought about making her own weapon. She wanted it to somewhat resemble her mother’s weapon, but she would have to wait a few more years in order for her to attend Signal.

She was happy to hear about Ray and Nick’s weapons, the combining feature she may be able to help with. “You need to make sure you have space for the gears to click and combine together. Too much space, and it will fall apart. Too close, and the mechanism will lock up causing a jam.”

Ray and Nick looked at each other before looking at Ruby. She shied away from their looks before the Faunus said, “That was on our minds, Ruby. You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”

“I just like weapons,” her shyness fading in lieu of her enthusiasm. “I mean, if you want, I could help you with the mechanisms?” Both boys nodded and she felt super happy and jumped out of her chair to hug Nick and then jumped at Ray. She wrapped her tiny legs around Ray’s waist, pulling him to one side. Thankfully, he gripped the table to center his equilibrium.

“Rubes, stop koalaing him,” Yang playfully chided.

“Eep!” the young crimsonette said letting go and falling to the floor. “Owie!” she yelped as Zwei came barking over and licking her face. “Zwei, stappp ittt!” Everyone laughed at the antics.

After dinner, Ray headed up to his room, Nick followed and they both got out their weapon designs and tried to start the little things, how the gears, screws, and servos would intertwine without sacrificing any space. Nick’s proved to be harder as the smaller space meant it would have less opportunities to incorporate big things. However, the weapon just needed to function in its basic form, and then improvements could be made down the line. Ray left for a moment to go grab a longer piece of paper from the shed. He could teleport out and back in seconds, but he needs the exercise. Once he left the room, Nick took a moment to fully absorb Ray’s room. There were posters and other various trinkets around the room, and what looked to be an old cloak in his closet. Nick snickered at the thought of Ray wearing a cape. Pausing, he knows that Ruby doesn’t go anywhere without her hood. Maybe Ray outgrew it or he doesn’t want it to be ruined.

Ray came back mere seconds later. Silently, he typed on his scroll, “Found some extra blueprint designing paper for you, should make it easier to add specifics.” The voice said.

“Alright cool, have you thought of a name for your weaponsss?” Nick genuinely asked.

‘Only a few have made it through my selection process. I thought about having names for each section, like the pistols and the natural form, _and_ the shotgun, but it became complicated,’ Ray gestured. ‘So, only one name for the entire thing. I will name the pistols if I can come up with anything decent. You?’ he pointed at Nick who had put down his writing utensils.

“Not much, I know my claws need to have a somewhat cool name and they have to compliment my semblance. I planned to have them shoot from my wrists and come back with Gravity Dust,” Nick said, showing a preliminary design of his weapons.

‘Have you calculated the firing mechanism weight, composition, and disposition of all these?’ Ray inquired, moving behind Nick to look over his shoulder.

The Faunus shook his head, “I have some of the preliminary pieces and areas down, but it still seems too bulky.”

Ray tapped him on the shoulder, '{Rubes can help with that. She is a secret genius.}'

“Fine, I’ll ask her,” a lull of silence as the two boys had their scrolls out. “Ray, did you used to wear a cape?”

Ray tensed for a microsecond but immediately relaxed. ‘She made it for me, but I never had the heart to wear it. Another time.’ Ray shut it down, it goes back to him not feeling worthy of it. Summer had made it for his ninth birthday. He told her he would wear it when he went to Signal.

“I thought you would do this,” Nick got up in a superhero pose and ran around the room. Ray would never admit it, but when Ruby does the Ruby Pout™ there is nothing you can do. If she asked him too, then he would because when he gets those quicksilver eyes used on his, he knows that there is no hope and nothing can save you. Those silver eyes are like weapons of mass cutestruction.

The ladies, on the other hand, were all laughing and talking. Ruby was in Grace and Tera’s room, along with Yang. The two sisters wanted to see if they could coax them to admit they liked one of the boys. It was all simple of them looking at some magazines that Yang smuggled away from her dad. They were those tabloid ones, but they weren’t interested in the words, but the pictures. “Oh come on, he looks so hot, how could you not like him?”

“I’m not interested in romance, Yang,” Tera said dryly. “I honestly don’t think I’ll find someone because then they would have to learn my past, and then they will only see me as a connection, some prize to be won.”

“Aww, it can’t be that bad,” Ruby chirped, holding the adorable corgi in her lap. Her crimson-tipped hair was slightly frazzled.

Seeing the look Yang was giving the Mistralain, “Zhè bùshì wǒ de cuò. I may be able to find someone if they don’t figure out I’m from the RBC.”

“The Mistral Company?” Ruby asked, eyes wide. She even stopped petting Zwei. The corgi let out a small whine as a result.

“Oh for the love of… yes, Ruby,” Grace said.

The resulting squeal could be heard in the entire house, which prompted the boys to run into the room and look around. “What happened?” Nick asked, eyes alert.

Yang, rubbing her ears, “She found out that Tera is from the Blacksmithing company in Mistral. You know, the weapons magazines and stuff?”

His lime-green eyes losing their alertness he chuckled, “Oh, we already knew that. I honestly thought you two knew as well.” Ray was silently laughing, holding onto the door. 

“What? You knew?!” Ruby squealed, at a lesser volume this time.

‘We know how uncomfortable she gets when it gets mentioned. So we decided to not oust her on it,’ Ray signed before stepping out. He wanted to sleep, considering he almost fell asleep beforehand.

“Fair,” Yang admitted. The blonde stretched, and got up, telling the girls to get a good night’s sleep.

Soon after that information was fully absorbed, everyone who was still there, went back to their respective rooms. Thankfully, Tai was still asleep. It was a miracle that he was. Then, that night, none of the children could go to sleep, because they had one thing to worry about:

Building their weapons tomorrow.

* * *

The children burst through the doors, all excited for their homeroom and when they entered the olive-colored building, they were surprised to see Qrow, Miss Gorman, and Mr. Bianchi already there. Tai walked right up in front of the five. “So, you all already know why we wanted you here.”

Mr. Bianchi took over, his bass voice dominating the room, “You five have excelled in everything we have taught you this past semester. You’ve already shown prowess in every field. Your absorption of the material is second to none.”

Miss Gorman spoke, “You five did everything in class with sheer efficiency. I would be able to walk out of the room and you could most likely teach the class. You have my approval.”

Tai took the mantle next, “All of you have shown promise, and I’d hope you do well to remember what I’ve taught you. The most important place to watch is your six, otherwise, it will _clock_ you.”

Awful pun aside and multiple groans throughout the room, except Yang and Tai, Qrow spoke, “You already know what I’m going to say, so instead of me babbling at you five, let’s take a walk.” The Huntsmen and Huntress left the room, and the kids followed like little ducklings.

The group passed their normal rooms before heading into the basement. They stopped outside two metal doors. With a swipe of an ID and a passcode, the door opened.

It was pitch black.

At least it was until Tai flipped on a light switch. The room had tons of equipment from molding plates to furnaces. The entire room was stocked with semi-state of the art equipment. The only one who was unimpressed was Tera. She could see her family’s handiwork on everything. However, she was still excited to make her weapon. She also noticed some Schnee Dust Company items in the room, so maybe it was not all bad. “You will be given passes and access to everything in here. “There will be other staff in here because they are the maintenance crew. You treat them as they were your teachers. Everything they say goes. Understood?” Mr. Bianchi demanded. There was no other way to put it.

“‘Crystal’” the children answered in unison.

“I think that’s enough torture for them. You have the day here to do as much as you can. Feel free to ask questions. They will be sure to help you _forge_ through your problems,” Tai said, leaving the room along with the rest of the adults.

Three seconds of silence passed before each one gave out a cheer. Ray went directly to the molding section. Grace went to the Dust section, along with Tera. Yang followed Nick to the spare parts area, which contained all the screws, gears, and other miscellaneous tools. All the staff was surprised at how fast these five went to work. They knew there was something special about these kids. Something the world needs more of.

The spark to the forge’s fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistrali (Chinese) translation:
> 
> Zhè bùshì wǒ de cuò = Not my fault I feel like this.


	10. One Final Stretch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New Chapter, now with weapons. As for their design, I don't have the super technical know-how of assembling weapons, but since we are in Remnant, figure you'd let me slide on that.
> 
> As for my co-authors, one of them has something special for you on Chapter 13 (technically, it's chapter 12, but since the Trailer is the 'first' chapter... you know). He's really excited to have written his chapter, which when I last looked, was 7k words, and he's not done yet.
> 
> So be ready for that.

The next few weeks for the quintet, they spent in the forge. They were taking all the time they needed for Qrow’s homework assignment. The models were simply for proof of concept purposes. The model was supposed to be ⅛ to scale. So these were about five inches at best. When Nick asked Qrow if they had to be finely detailed, he told the Faunus not to worry themselves over that until they actually built their weapons.

As a result, they each sometimes skipped lunches, study halls, and even Qrow’s class to work on their weapons. The molding took a chunk of time for each of them. The models were easy as it was just steel that they were working with. Nothing else was too complicated. They all turned their models in at the same time and from there, Qrow told them, “Good luck,” and left it at that. 

As for the actual forging of their weapons, it took them three different iterations each for them to get the perfect base model. After that, Tera was done in one shot, having known the dimensions of her saxophone by heart. Grace took two attempts to build a base. Then, she had another attempt for a secondary option, something for her hands. Nick took five times… for a single claw; then twice more for the other one. Ray definitely took the most at nine total. It had to be perfect. He made the casings for the pistols and then the shotgun. They ended up being the same caliber of round, just to not have to mess with a shifting receiver. Even Ray didn’t want to attempt that. Ruby might when she decides what she wants. Yang already had them molded and mostly crafted, with help from her father, cheeky blonde that she was.

When that step was done, each of them went to separate stations. They were adding in the necessary parts to the frames before it brought their prototypes to completion. Grace was the first to see how she missed a crucial piece, and promptly went back to her design, finding the problem easily. Nick found that one of his gauntlets was slightly small for his hand and he fixed that. Tera managed to get a working prototype, for all about five seconds before it sputtered and died. Instead of being embarrassed, she was curious about where she went wrong. Ray had only figured out his pistols and the wrist guards. The problem was that the mechanism that combined them was locking up on itself, sometimes it would jam.

As stressful as it was, Qrow and Tai came to check on them, Ruby happened to be there that day. Her silver eyes widened and her smile was infectious. She ran over to Ray who was trying to get the two guns to come apart. “Hey, Ray!”

The silver-eyed boy dropped the guns in shock before turning to Ruby, who was smiling wide. ‘Do not ever do that.’

“Do what?”

‘Scare me. Now, unless you know how to get this mechanism unstuck without breaking it, then step back,’ Ray advised the younger girl. Ruby took one look at his work, immediately darted over to a drawer, opened it, fumbled around in it for three to five seconds, came back, and held out a piece. ‘Do I-’

“Replace what you have as the combo mechadoohicky with this,” Ruby stated confidently. Ray picked up the piece and Ruby watched as the gears turned in her brother’s head. He turned around and immediately pulled the piece that was causing the jam out—with excess force—before replacing it with the piece Ruby gave him.

Like magic, the mechanism worked and the pistols had combined into his future shotgun. With a wide smile on his face, he placed the weapon on the bench, grabbed Ruby in a hug, and swung her around. Ruby, in response, koalaed him. “So?” she asked once she was set down and her equilibrium returned.

‘It works!’ Ray excitedly signed. He gained a thoughtful look on his face, ‘That does not mean it  _ works _ works. That means the process works, but after that, I still have to test the dryfire test, the live-fire test, and the reload test. Then-’

Ruby cut him off by grabbing his hands, “How about you take a break? You’ve been at this for weeks.” When did she become so— “So you and I can watch movies all weekend!” —never mind.

Ray nodded and the crimsonette was proud of the outcome. While the two siblings were rejoicing, the trio had finished what they set out to accomplish today and decided to turn in. Tai was waiting by the entrance with an inquisitive look. “So, how did it go?”

Each one of them replied with varying, almost negligible, levels of excitement. Ray answered with relief coating his words. Now that the hard part was out of the way, he had some ideas and customizations he had in mind for his weapon. The last thing he needed was a name.

He may just have one in mind, but first, he had to consult someone. Once they left the forge, he had time to consider what he was going to say...

* * *

‘Hey, mom.’ Ray signed to the gravestone. He was currently standing at the cliffside overlooking Summer’s grave, the sun was close to setting on the horizon. It always did look beautiful out here. ‘So it has been a while and I have not come by to talk to you. It has been quite an adventure. Nick has been quite interesting to be around, and one of my greatest friends. It always feels like he has some sarcasm to throw into the mix. I believe that he is just repressing what happened to him. He may not know that I know, but the signs are there.’ He huffed at his unintentional pun.

‘Grace… I think she is more like Ruby, but less like her in the energy department. While the girl can get excited over the little things, it is never to the level of her. She finally got some closure with you.’ Ray paused as he thought about his next words. Eventually, he signed, ‘Why did you never tell me about her? I know you saved me, and when you did I felt so safe. I just never felt that safe before, and even now the safest I feel is when Ruby hugs me because it reminds me of you and I feel so disgusted with myself.’ Ray sat down on the grass, Summer’s gravestone right in front of him. ‘I should not compare her to you, but it is so difficult. When people have mentioned that she looked so much like you, they were not kidding. I know she is not you, but something wishes I could have helped in some way. Where you did not have to go on that mission. And I-’ Ray stopped signing as he felt the feeling he gets every time he visits. A bristle on the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine, makes his eyes whip around and scan the treeline.  _ I must be going crazy _ . Turning back around, he looks to the sunset and the few scattered clouds in the Patch island sky. 

Thankfully, since it was close to the end of the school year, the snow has gone away and the warmer weather has returned, mostly during the day. Ray looked down at his outfit, pants with many pockets, boots, a sleeveless vest, and a t-shirt. Subconsciously, he traced over his scar that he received six years ago now. The date already passed for the day it happened. Ray was unusually more recluse than normal. That day, he couldn’t get out of his head. It consumed him in many ways, and the aftermath was him waking up in the hospital with bandages around his neck, an IV in his arm, and multiple pairs of worried eyes. Exhaling, he turned around.

‘Sorry about that, I just thought someone has been watching me. It has been a crazy feeling, I swear. It only happens when I am with you though, at least so far,’ Ray quietly sighed. ‘Anyway, where was I? Oh, my friends. Well, I already mentioned Grace and Nick, so that leaves mysterious Tera. {MysTeria?} No, that is rude of me. My point is that I have grown to like the three of them as my friends. Tera loves to play jazz, and I could go for some,’ Ray smiled with his eyes closed, just thinking about the jazz. No one understands that she can really rock it. That program, which Ray needs to ask about, can play any filler instruments for the song. It adapts to her playing. ‘My point is, she has a unique life. She is or was the daughter of the Mistral RBC before she ran away from home to come to Vale. I mean, she has her reasons, and I will not deny that I am curious.’

‘Off track yet again, I wanted to come by and ask you what I should name my weapon? I knew what I wanted the weapon to be, but I do not know what I should name it. Naming it is just as important as the forging of it. You once said that naming your weapon was another way to become in tune with it. I just do not know where to start.’

The wind picked up exponentially out of nowhere and he felt the fury of the wind go directly to his face, surprising him. Once it died down, he thought about it. It certainly was a surprise to get wind to the face. For a fleeting moment, he thought it was going to lift him off the ground and defenestrate him into the sea. Unfortunately, there were no windows to be thrown out of, but the ambush would have been refreshing. Ray paused, looking at the grave, and thinking about what just happened.  _ Fury’s Ambush _ . It’s perfect. With a wide smile, he signed, ‘Thank you, Summer. I miss you so much, it hurts sometimes. I wonder what happened to you.’

Walking backward, Ray signed, ‘I love you, Summer. Thank you, for being the mother I never wanted, but the one I  _ needed _ .’ As he signed that, he let his tears that he  _ knew _ were going to fall, he forced his head away as the tears fell away from her grave. There were already enough tears shed here, there didn’t need to be more than there already was. Of course, as soon as he stepped away from the safety of the grave, he heard a growl. Eyes wide, he scanned his surroundings. He felt the anxiety rising in his chest, heart beating.  _ This is karma, is it not? _

Taking a deep breath, he steeled his nerves, sat on the ground, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was staring right at a Beowolf about half of a football field away. The dread-filled eyes bore into Ray’s quicksilver ones. Ray narrowed his eyes and was about to make an escape, but the Beowolf seemed to know the danger it was in and ran off. Ray looked after it confused wondering why it didn’t try to end him. That did not follow a normal Beowolf’s behavioral pattern. It didn’t follow  _ any _ of the Grimm’s behavioral patterns. Standing up, he cautiously traveled through the dense Patch forest, knowing the way back to the cabin. The question lingered on his mind:  _ Was it able to sense danger? _

Well, he wanted to explore more, but that was when he heard his name in three to five different voices. One of them was louder than the rest and Ray knew who it was. So instead, he wanted to play a game. Using his Semblance, he went around the back of the house, since he did see it from the treeline he was about to emerge from. After that, he clapped his hands to spell out, ‘{Over here!}’

Then, he blinked over to another side of the house, ‘{Over here!}’.

He just barely heard Grace say, “He’s messing with us. Of course, Ray, we’re worried about you and you’re playing games. For all we know, this isn’t you and you’re missing.”

“Ray’s missing?!” Ruby’s voice carried over the rest, panic seeping into her voice. Whether the crimsonette knew it or not, it sent a pang of guilt straight to the boy’s heart. He didn’t like to make her upset or have any sort of negative emotion. Something about Ruby, and Ray’s instinct, told him to make sure that she stays pure. He vaguely remembers saying to Grace and Tera that he would be the dirty one if it meant she stayed pure.

“No Ruby, he’s hiding, after he went somewhere, he didn’t tell us where,” Tera said to the younger girl.

The crimsonette knew that there was only one place he could have gone. “How long has he been ‘missing?’” No one missed the small waver in her voice.

“Around an hour by thisss point,” Nick said, looking to the tree line. Ray slinked behind a tree, debating whether or not to show himself. In all cases, he should, since he is making Ruby upset. However, ignoring the nagging feeling just this once, he slipped around to the other side of the house, sneaking inside.

Tai just so happened to be in the house and saw him slip into the kitchen. Following the boy, he said, “Are you enjoying yourself?” Ray jumped and turned around, eyes wide, before stopping to see Tai smirking at him. He was looking at the adult with an ‘uhm’ face. “You may want to let them know before I do because then she will not let you go.”

With a sheepish smile, he snuck back outside and appeared right behind Ruby before grabbing her. The shirek she let out made Ray wince but not slack on his grip. When she realized that her struggle was useless; that was when Yang had found them and her crimson eyes softened, but only just. He was going to get it when she had the chance, which was right now. Ray must have slacked in his grip because then Ray was on the ground and Ruby was squeezing the life out of him. “Never do that again!”

Ruby seriously was a lot stronger than she looked. Granted, the five people around him were. Speaking of them, they were snickering at Ray’s misfortunate. Signing above both his and Ruby’s body, ‘Can you get her off me?’

“With what you just pulled, I think you deserve it,“ Tera said with a smirk and a wink.

“Ray-Ray, I would help you, but I just want to see you try to get up,” Yang commented off to the side, snickering. Ray rolled his eyes while bracing himself. On the mental count of three, he pushed off the ground and stood up while Ruby koalaing him. He then got an idea. Concentrating on the couch inside, he activated his semblance, and just like a ninja vanishes in the movies, they poofed away and onto the couch.

Ruby pulled away and looked at Ray with wide eyes, as he did. To be frank, he didn’t think it would work, but it was a short distance. “Well, it looks like you  _ can  _ transport one person,” Tai said from the kitchen door.

‘I will be honest, I thought it would be a lot more difficult than that,” Ray signed perplexed. It certainly came as a surprise to them both. Then his aura deactivated, and he slumped into the seat.

“Howdidyoudothatwewereoutsideandthenwewereinsidedidyouuseyoursemblancetobringusbothinsidethatissuperawesome!” Ruby sped through her words as she was really close to his face. Their silver eyes locked once again. “Oh, so you wanted to see if it would work? And that took a massive chunk of your Aura, didn’t it?”

Ray nodded, ‘I did want to test it out later, rather than sooner, but you did not give me an option, squirt.’ He grinned as everyone else came inside in a rush to see Ruby smiling again.

“Oh, so that’sss what you did,” Nick said, not at all perturbed that his friend vanished out of sight with his adopted sister.

“But you were- but we-” Grace stuttered, pointing to him, then outside, and back again. She finally ended with, “What?!”

Many laughs were had in that house that night.

* * *

The children were brimming with excitement. With minor modifications and tweaks to their designs, they were finally going to get their weapons manufactured for the final time. There were certain things that Qrow, Miss Gorman, and Mr. Bianchi noticed details that were out of place and subsequently made them correct their mistakes. Ray ended up making his design a few inches longer, so he would grow into it. Nick ended up compartmentalizing some of his design, therefore making it efficient and effective. Tera swapped out the bass clarinet for the saxophone for the natural form; it was lighter, and not as much of a strain on her shoulders. Now, this was not a kid’s saxophone either. This was a large size saxophone, as big as they come without crossing the classification of bass clarinet. They were building them for their future years. Grace had fixed the magazine issue she was struggling with on the offhand. It was how she had to build the magazine which caused her problems. Instead of it being a standard run of the mill magazine, she had to have it be angled at fifteen or so degrees off the axis, morphing it to the underside of the weapon. This would, hopefully, allow the bullets to be fed into the chamber much easier whilst also allowing the arrows on the crossbow to fire. She also included a feature to break apart and become a defensive weapon.

To add one more layer of complexity, she made a special pair of gloves that allow her to fire off the shields on her wrists to then have them be called back via Gravity Dust. She knew what she was going to name them too. She made them because she knows that she lacks in the defense department of combat.

They were gearing up, excluding Yang, who finished two days ago, and she was quite impressed with the outcome, gaining the approval of all her teachers. The one caveat to making the weapon is that she could not have it on her person until she was in her third year. Yang pouted off to the side but accepted it.

Hours later, the other four children all finished their weapons. Grace had flicked from her crossbow to the twin arm shields even doing a test fire and testing the Gravity Dust. She was smiling wide at the process before she put her quiver on her back, along with her newly fashioned weapon. The crossbow was somewhat heavy for her, but the number of mechanical parts in it added significant weight. As for the other essential parts, they weighed exponentially less. The slate-haired girl even put an urban-type camo on it, matching her apparel. She already had a name in mind, but she was going to wait until everyone revealed theirs.

Tera had shredded a few scales on her saxophone before the wind picked up in the room and pushed Nick off his feet for a second. Thankfully, Ray had caught him before he flew into a machine in the forge. For all intents and purposes, it looked deceiving considering the fact that it is a musical instrument. The Mistralian did not put a camo or some type of fashion on it, deciding to leave it as its ‘base’ version. She was just glad the Dust that was infused into it worked.

Nick had flashed his new claws along with an explanation of how the launching mechanism works, so it became obvious that there was a theme going on. He also showed off the little SMG, which was no bigger than his arm, with his snake camo applied as well. The camo matched his scales, but not to the exact degree. Irony aside his friends expressed their concerns about him using his own scales, but he assured them that it was not the case. Ray’s weapon, on the other hand, was definitely unique.

Much speculation surrounded his weapon, even from his friends. Ruby had a little insight into it since she helped him with a core issue. So, he started by showing off the natural form, the wrist guards, which were coated in a silver chrome finish. Then, he flicked his wrists out to show off the two pistol-like weapons in each hand. Putting one down, he pulled the receiver back and out popped a thick shotgun shell. As the silver-eyed boy did the same thing with the other pistol finding that it was the same shell as the first, they knew it was about to get interesting.

Intrigued, the teachers gestured for him to continue, as they were watching with veiled expressions. With that in mind, Ray put the shells down before picking up the pistols and meshing them together. The mechanism worked wonders and Ray’s eyes were sparkling with mirth like he didn’t expect it to work and it was going to fail. The two guns formed a lever-action shotgun. Pulling the lever down ejected a shell, setting it next to the other two bullets from earlier, which were the exact same design, os nothing changed upon the weapon’s transformation. ‘{I custom made the receiver and made a mold of it.}’ Ray set the weapon down, ‘The slug round is in the middle surrounded by bird or buckshot—dependent on what and where we go—and dust infused for some moderate kick. I made these, something I found soothing in my spare time.’

Mr. Bianchi voiced his opinion first, “Well done, all of you. I must say, you’ve surprised me in what your weapons were going to be.” Qrow chuckled offhandedly. “No thanks to you, Mr. Branwen.”

“They wanted to be kept secret, why not let the kids have this?” Qrow countered.

Miss Gorman was next, “Grace, how did you manage to keep the magazine along with the sleek design?”

Grace stuttered as the attention was on her. It was a simple question, “S-So, I decided that I wanted a deception sort of weapon where it looks l-like a normal crossbow, heh, and then surprise them. The magazine is act-actually underneath the entire thing,” she pointed out from the tip of the crossbow, down to the trigger. “This can hold twenty 7.62x39 dust rounds, each one at 124 grain.”

Miss Gorman’s eyes sparkled, “Did you apply what you learned about dust rounds from my class?”

“It was the first thought in my mind when I decided to do this,” Grace responded with a prideful smile.

“Excellent. What about you, Mr. O’Brien? What caliber is your weapon?” the younger Huntress asked.

“SSStandard 45 ACP dust roundsss. I asked Grace for help in forging them because there were a few things I forgot,” Nick admitted.

“Which are?” Miss Gorman prompted.

Sheepishly, he looked away, “Whether the dust mixes in with the gunpowder, or if it is separate in the bullet, or not at all mixed.”

“Those are fair questions. I do hope you got it correct,” Miss Gorman said, before flicking her gaze to Tera. “What about you, Ms. Rowe?”

Snapping to attention, “Oh, since mine doesn’t use bullets, I opted for a Dust-based weapon. Worst case, I make a sidearm and add it on to my kit. Off-track, sorry, I love my saxophone and since I am the RBC’s daughter, I knew my way around forging and tinkering with common household items. As for the actual weapon itself, it uses white dust to carry wind, and can also use other types of dust, but wind is the primary use.”

“You haven’t spent time around the SCD, have you?” Mr. Bianchi commented, raising a singular white eyebrow.

Tera broke eye contact, clearly uncomfortable talking about it. None of her friends said anything else, and that was the best she could hope for. “Behave. We need not make our students shy away with such prying questions.”

“Apologies, Ms. Rowe,” the eldest of the teachers said.

“Thanks,” Tera mumbled, clearly miffed about it. Of course, she spent time around the SDC, with all the studying she did on it, and how often her father mentioned them.

“What about you, Mr. Rose-Xiao Long?”

Ray smiled, loving for the opportunity to show off his creation. ‘As you saw, when the weapons… transform? Combine?’ He trailed off in question, not knowing the proper wording. Shortly after, he continued, ‘When combined, the bullets form,’ grabbing the three rounds off the table, handing it to Miss Gorman, ‘that. It is a bit heavy, which it should be since it is a  _ combination round _ , and that means the kick and damage this can deal is on a multiplier of three.’ With the combined efforts of all three children, they translated it for him.

“You managed to fit both types of ammo into this single cartridge?” Miss Gorman and Mr. Bianchi said in unison. Miss Gorman definitely felt the weight, it must weigh at least a few ounces more than a standard eight gauge, which for a shotgun is abnormal. They both shot looks to Qrow and Tai, who the former teammates watched with smirks on their faces.

“You didn’t help him, did you?” Miss Gorman asked.

“No, Ray was determined to figure it out. He asked my youngest daughter, his sister, Ruby. She loves weapons almost as much as she loves cookies,” Tai explained. “But that was only on the mechanism.”

Turning back to Ray, “How many can fit in your weapon?” Ray held up eight fingers but was waving a ninth. “So, eight normally, but nine counting the one in the chamber?” The silver-eyed boy nodded. “How many did you make and what gauge is this?” She gestured to the round.

‘Eight gauge, almost went to Six but I just had enough wiggle room to fit them. As for the rounds though...’ the boy responded, but the grin on his face said he probably made way more than enough ammo.

“Now now kiddos, there is one more thing we have to take care of before you get our final approval,” Qrow said, noticing the now fearful looks on their faces. “Naming your creations.” The quartet collectively let out a relieving breath. “Grace, you first.”

_ “Deliverance  _ for the crossbow but for the gloves,” flashing them for emphasis, “I am calling them  _ Precursor’s Reach. _ ” Grace pulled  _ Deliverance _ off the table and ran her fingers over her family’s crest engraved on the stock. A sniper’s crosshair.

Nodding, “What about you?”

Without hesitation from the Cobra Faunus, “ _ Leech Cyclone.” _ Ray had to give it to Nick, it did sound fitting for him. Nick’s symbol of crossed snakes with their tongues out sat in plain sight on the handles before the claws.

“What about you?” Qrow looked to Tera.

The Mistralian looked directly into Qrow’s eyes as she said, “ _ Nature’s Harmony. _ ” This was to go with her Semblance, which she named  _ Nature’s Angst.  _ Her symbol of thorns surrounding a tree was engraved into the weapon, right under the bell of the saxophone.

“What about you, oh silent one?” Qrow teased, knowing the name would get Ray determined.

Determined it did, ‘I actually got inspiration from someone.’ Grabbing the weapon off the table and showing it to them, but pointed to one specific spot where his symbol was. The symbol of one person moving in one direction and another looking like they were phasing out of existence. However, it was what sat behind it was what made Tai and Qrow look at him with soft eyes. Behind his symbol sat Summer Rose’s symbol of her signature rose.

“Is that where you went a few days ago?” Tai asked.

Ray nodded, tears were beginning to form, but he put the weapon down to sign, ‘ _ Fury’s Ambush.’ _

“She would be proud of you, you know?” Tai said, wrapping Ray into a hug. The boy nodded as he desperately fought for the tears to stay. Qrow patted Ray’s shoulder as the two hugged, giving a soft smile to him. Once Ray was free from Tai’s grasp, he shot over to Nick who gave him a hug and received one in return. Then, he went to Tera who accepted his affection with open arms.

‘{Thank you. I am glad to have met you}’ Ray signed on Tera’s head. Ray forgot he was a little bit taller than everyone, except Nick, they’ve gone back and forth for a couple of years now.

“You’re welcome,” Tera said softly, knowing how much the former Huntress had an effect on him. Even if he never told her, it was all in his actions.

Finally, he went to Grace who actually started the hug before he could, “We’ve come so far from meeting outside the library.”

“We have,” Nick commented, dragging Tera over to join the now group hug. There was a semblance of peace that washed over them, and they all pulled each other a little closer to just relish the moment. “Now, we have three more years to go and then we’re, hopefully, off to Beacon Academy.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Ray's weapon went through two different designs, one as it is now, lever action. OR it was supposed to be both pump and lever-action with it changing with a flick of a switch. Went with the lever to allow cool, flashy moves to be used later on.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	11. Three to Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting close to wrapping up this arc. Trust me, there is more to come. Chapter 13 (aka Chapter 12) is pretty much finished and ready to go, but I prefer spacing out uploads.
> 
> Just this chapter and Chapter 12 (Chapter 11) to go and the arc is complete. We have so many plans in store.

The four children are in their remedial classes at Signal. They are starting their third year and that means one thing, ‘Guys, I told you, Ruby is coming today. All she ever wanted was to be Huntress and  _ this _ is the place for her to start that journey.’

“Ray, we believe you, but please, stop signing,” Grace whispered in mock anger, she was trying to pay attention. They all were, as a matter of fact. They were ahead of their class by about two months, but all of this stuff was a great review. They wanted to excel in any way possible, but they were not aiming for perfection. Their first year had dashed by. After making their weapons, they had to store them in lockers specially designed for them. Something that would be transferred to Beacon if and when they made it in. That didn’t mean they couldn’t carry them around if they needed repairs.

Ray didn’t sign again until someone talked to him, but he did it with a smug smirk. He honestly thought about not talking at all, but it would probably make them all very happy.

After their class was over, they waited by the door. Their remedial classes are an hour earlier than the actual school day, and they head home an hour earlier as a result. They were waiting by the entrance, sitting on a side staircase that leads to the second floor.

“Give him a break, you three, I am as excited as he is. It is not every day that your younger sister is attending Signal Academy. Not to mention that she’s been excited to attend for years, like since we enrolled. She’s already going nuts with weapon designs,” Yang said as she arrived by the Academy entrance, wrapping an arm over Ray’s shoulder. “I mean, you should see her room, it’s filled with paper balls and actual designs. She’s going to go overboard on designing it.”

“You’re not supposed to help him with his argument, Yang,” Tera commented, tuning  _ Nature’s Harmony _ to, you know,  _ actually _ harmonize. While the notes were played just fine, it was the mere combination of them. Meaning, it plays, but it sounds like someone put a filter in it.

“Well, don’t place bets on me, I am excited for Ruby, it’s what she’s always wanted to do, even before she could physically run. She saw Summer and…”

Ray wrapped an arm around Yang’s waist, giving her a reassuring nod. Taking his arm back, ‘Now, I am willing to bet that Ruby launches to me first.’

“Nuh-uh, she’s gonna hug me first,” the blonde countered.

“What if she hugs you both? Or neither of you?” Grace said, taking a seat on the stairs behind them with a small grin on her face. Honestly, Ruby was like the little sister to them all.

“Then we tie or we lose. Simple,” Yang said as the door opened. The new freshmen of Signal arrived, but of course, the five of them were waiting for a girl in a red hood. She was one of the last to enter, but as she did, the smile on her face and the look in her eyes could power Vale for years if given the chance. She sprinted over to them and leaped at all of them. Ray and Yang caught her before she injured herself. Ruby has a tendency to be a  _ tad _ clumsy and even more so with age.

“Hey, you guys! Can you believe it? I’m here at Signal!” Ruby cheered, gaining some looks from the rest of her peers and other students.

“Yes, and these two have been waiting for you to arrive,” Grace added in, which brought a flush to the siblings in question.

“Aww, you didn’t have to wait, I would have found you guys sometimes throughout the day, but I appreciate the gesture,” Ruby beamed before hugging Tera, then Grace, and jumped on Nick’s back.

“Easy, Rubesss,” Nick said. “Better get to your homeroom before you’re late. This applies to the rest of us.” Disentangling the crimsonette from his back, he gave Ruby a light push to the rest of her class.

“See you later, Ruby!” Grace called.

“Stay safe,” Tera called as well.

‘Now that we got that settled, we should get to class ourselves,’ Ray signed, taking off in a light jog. He could easily use his Semblance to make it to class, but he likes to race. Also, it’s frowned upon to use your Semblance inside the school.

“Oh crap, class starts in two minutes!” Yang said, taking off after Ray. The other three laughed to themselves before getting up and walking along.

During their second year, Cardin started picking on every single Faunus in the school, Nick included. He didn’t learn his lesson from last year. So, during Tai’s class, when Nick was selected to go against Cardin… let’s just say Nick had wiped the floor with him. He didn’t bother him for the rest of the year. Yang had wanted to beat Cardin black and blue outside the class, but everyone talked her down. By everyone, they mean Nick. He already took care of it, made sure to leave a nice bruise in the center of his chest.

Another thing to note about the Academy is that their teachers go on a rotating yearly basis. Meaning, the teachers they have for the first years, are the same throughout their Signal careers. The only ones who don’t, are the Weapons and Combat professors. They teach all of Signal’s students. There are multiple instructors so the strain isn’t all on two people. Still, it didn’t change much for the children. They have familiar teachers and familiar friends. While Ruby will have different strategy and Dust teachers, she at least has two of her family members with her for her classes.

This year, Tera, Nick, Ray, and Grace all had the same schedule. Yang had a different schedule, but as mentioned, the same teachers as before. They do teach multiple times a day. Thankfully, they were spared puns from the Dragon. Thirty-five puns in fifteen minutes was her personal record. So, the four of them were all in Dust Safety with Miss Gorman, and she brightened up when her students came to class.

“Alrighty, today I have something wonderful for all of you~” her voice still excitable as ever, which brought smiles to her students’ faces. “Today, we are going to do a Dust lab. As you all have already made your weapons and subsequently your ammunition, we are going to learn how to make uncommon types of ammo. The ones that need slightly more precision. So for this, you will need to activate your Auras if you have unlocked them.”

When she paused, every student who could activate their aura did so. Grace’s was a dark grey, rivaling charcoal. Ray’s was pure silver, a distinction amongst the class. Nick’s was a forest green that complemented his lime-green hair. Tera’s aura was definitely the prettiest out of the four, matching her eye color as well, so the amber-orange of her eyes gave off a warm feeling. Around the class, they watched someone with a dark yellow, a clementine color, a rosy pink color, and someone had a crimson color. So, about a third of the class had their auras and could instinctively activate them when prompted. A few more moments of silence passed and the rest of the class could bring their aura to life. Thankfully, no one truly struggled, everyone in the class had their auras unlocked, but it was like a muscle. The more you use it, the easier it is to use.

However, Ray took notice that he was the only one that had a silver-colored aura. He tried to not look dejected about it. Maybe he should be happy he’s unique, but it still felt weird. Feeling hairs rise on his neck, he sharply looked out the window, creasing his brows. With an exhale, he relaxed. Thankfully, everyone was distracted by Miss Gorman speaking, “-nd from there we will head back here.”

No one else noticed Ray’s temporary lapse in attention, to which he was thankful for. He didn’t know what to think of it but slowly brushed it off as the students were led to the central Courtyard of Signal. The walk was pretty fast, as Miss Gorman’s classroom was located close by. This was where students would settle down from class, discuss random topics, and talked about whatever was trending at the time.

Ray continued to idly pay attention as they walked past the courtyard. On the way though, he saw Ruby talking with a few people. However, with her current posture, it looked worse. Tapping Nick on the shoulder and walking away he went over to Ruby’s position. He made his footsteps silent, and his eyes narrowed into slits. If anyone was looking at Ray, his eyes went from silver hue to a solid steel, almost unnoticeable to most, unless you knew him that is.

Nick hissed an unrepeatable word under his breath, getting the girls’ attention. “Where’s Ray?”

“Going to defend Ruby and he looksss pissed, and I don’t think I want to sssee him pissed,” he said, leaving as well. Miss Gorman had noticed the four of them leave, but said nothing. Instead, she opted to watch this unfold, gesturing for the rest of her class to head inside and sit down and be patient.

Ray was five paces away from them and every single pace closer, he heard insults. “Look at you, you big baby!” “You seriously need a blanket? How old are you, eight?” One of them reached to grab Ruby’s cloak, but Ray’s hand intercepted theirs. Ruby’s eyes shot over to Ray and he could  _ feel _ her relief. This both angered him and relieved him at the same time and he didn’t know what was worse.

Face softening as he looked to Ruby, asking silently to translate. Her voice was small and shaky, but she spoke. “H-He w-wants t-t-to know wh-what y-year you’re in.” Ray’s grip on the offender’s wrist never let up, even as he heard the footsteps of Grace, Nick, and Tera behind him.

“Second, what’s it to you?” they sneered, attempting to wrench their wrist free. Ray’s hand shimmered as his aura flared, warning him. He inclined his head as a silent gesture to try him. Ray would break this person’s wrist if they continued being smart with him. Their eyes went wide, “What?”

Nick cut in dryly, “You should really respect your elders. You’re talking to one of the top third-years. He does not find it nice that you are picking on someone below you, his sister no less.” That little detail might deter them, but if they come back… they  _ will _ be sporting fresh bruises. Dust forbid  _ Yang _ gets her hands on them.

Another spoke from the left, surrounding the first, “You’re not the boss of us.” They spewed arrogance.

“News flash, skippy,” Tera chided, “In a combat school,  _ we _ are the boss of you. If a fourth year or teacher asked you to stop doing something, then you should stop. If you don’t, then they can take you to the combat rooms and mop the floor with you. Not to mention that it has to be cleared with Mr. Xiao Long or Mr. Branwen to make sure no one abuses the system. There are rules here, and you need to adhere to them. Don’t believe us? Ask around about a Cardin Winchester.”

“Now, care to explain why you are picking a first-year student, on her  _ first _ day?” Grace asked, aura flashing as well, her eyes changed hues as well.

Conversation died around them, even their own classmates watched from the doorway. Ray, all the while, relaxed his grip on the ringleader’s wrist but kept it firm. When they didn’t answer, Ray glared at the three of them. They had the decency to flinch and mutter a half-assed apology. Knowing that coaxing an  _ actual _ apology would take more… persuasion, Ray let go and pointed in the direction of the principal’s office. 

As soon as they walked off, Ray turned to Ruby, ‘How are you feeling?’

Instead of replying, the crimsonette signed back, ‘I will be fine, but please do not tell Yang. She will flip.’

‘I see we are at an agreement then, but we better hope that no one tells Yang,’ Ray replied. He had zero intentions to tell Yang because if he did, those kids will have broken bones, at the minimum. With a smile exchanged between the five, Ray ruffled Ruby’s hair and waved bye, heading back to his class. Grace and Tera were halfway back to the group and Miss Gorman nodded once and continued on like nothing ever happened.

Ray disliked being the aggressor in situations like that, but he had to step in, because of how he wants to protect Ruby. Maybe one day, she’ll grow up when he least expects it.

* * *

After that debacle of a situation, they found themselves all at home. Thankfully, Yang had not found out, but there is an inkling feeling that she knows and knew it was handled, so she left it be. However, the young Dragon was anything but subtle. Her temper gave her the nickname  _ Dragon’s Wrath™ _ , which honestly… isn’t too bad of a nickname.

“So, I heard something went down at Signal today. Multiple teachers reported that you had to step in to save a student form being picked on,” Tai said with a grin that spelled he knew more than that. He probably got it from Miss Gorman.

Ray paled in his seat, as did Ruby. Yang was looking and now her eyes narrowed, “What happened?”

“N-Nothing Yang! Everything was  _ totally _ fine, and nothing bad happened today, I swear!” Ruby said flustered. Ray withheld a wince at the poor lying display.

“Ray, did anything happen?” Yang turned on him, and he gulped. Damn, why does she have to be so calm? It makes it even worse for the boy.

‘I plead the fifth,’ Ray signed.

“That doesn’t work here,” Yang replied. “What happened?” Nick noticed her hand gripping the table, knuckles a pale white. She was very well going to snap.

Tai sensing this, “Small debate between a freshman and sophomore in the hall, nothing too important. A third-year stepped in and diffused the situation.”

Clearly, Yang did not buy it and her eyes narrowed, even more, flickering red, “Really?” On the other side of the table, the three non-related children all were laughing. They knew it was not going to stay a secret. They all silenced themselves when Yang looked to them, “Do you have something to say?”

“No.”

“Nope.”

“Nada,” three answers chorused, all holding back some form of laughter.

Yang nodded, seemingly impressed with herself. “Why won’t you admit it, Ruby? Someone bullied you and Ray bailed you out by telling them off?” Her facial expression softened and her eyes went back to lilac. Ruby and Ray exchanged a look and decided to tell her.

‘Well technically, I told them if they do it again, I can take them to the combat room to teach them a lesson,’ Ray slowly signed, waiting for the inevitable reaction.

“You  _ are _ going to invite me along, right?” Yang said with much more excitement as she slammed her hands on the table. The two silver-eyed children shared a look of confusion and relief.

‘Sure, if you promise to not ever do the calm interrogating technique again?’ Ray asked.

“Promise, now Ruby, what did they say to you?” Yang asked, her sisterly instincts coming out.

“Do you  _ really  _ want to know?” Grace softly asked from across the table. “You just got calmed down, and I for one, do not want to see you angry.”

“Don’t you mean  _ Yangry _ ? Eh? Eh?” Yang responded without missing a beat, causing collective groans and eye rolls from around the table. Even Tai had to suppress a groan, if he was being honest, that is the worst pun Yang could do, and  _ that’s _ saying something.

Ruby explained what they said and how Ray handled it, and surprisingly enough, Yang was not as upset as the six of them thought she would be. It only ended up with some partially melted silverware.

After dinner was all cleaned up, and the mess was properly disposed of, the five of them were chatting about Mr. Bianchi’s four-year project. They had all shared each other’s scenarios, and currently, they all sat in the living room and were writing out more ‘solutions’ to their respective prompt. Ray had asked Mr. Bianchi some clarifying questions to which he responded vaguely, further confusing the rest. However, that opened up avenues for more possibilities and more work to boot.

“How many have you come up with, Gracie?” Tera asked idly as she was draped over the one person loveseat.

“Fourteen different ones so far, and now that Ray had asked the question of ‘Is there a team with me?’ it just added seven more.” She sent a look to Ray, “Speaking of you, Ray, did you ask Mr. Bianchi any other questions we should know about?”

Ray put down his pencil before leaning back, his thinking face on. He had that ‘ah-ha’ moment as he signed, ‘I had asked him if what condition we were in was a factor. Again, he was vague, so that factors into all of mine. Every situation I have has increased by five  _ each _ . There are plenty more, and if I went on with it, I would have a life story about this situation.’

A collective groan, “Why did you have to asssk him about thisss?”

Ray looked at Nick in exasperation, ‘I wanted to be thorough! You have seen how he has graded things, so I am  _ not _ taking any chances.’

“Any other questions we should know about?” Tera asked from across the room, arm draped across her eyes.

‘{What time of day is this at?}’ Ray tapped his notebook. Instead of a groan, everyone looked at him. His eyebrows rose, giving the classic ‘what’ face.

“That one is actually a good question,” Ruby chirped from next to Ray. “It actually does affect the situation in a good way. Can you see who is in front of you? Can you see the action? This one applies mostly to you, Nick.” the Cobra Faunus nodded in agreement.

Everyone conceded to the point and began adding in new notes. The only sounds you could hear were sniffing, breathing, and the creaking of a chair if someone moved. Tai had swung by and let them know he was off to bed and to not stay up too late. Everyone said good night as the elder Huntsman left.

Ray silently groaned as he put down his notebook, but halted when he noticed that Ruby had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Instead of removing her, he looked down at her with a fond expression. Using his free hand to move some of her accented hair out of her face, she snuggled closer. Ray smiled and caught Yang’s expression of absolute fondness. She took a few candids of them to save for later. Even though there is a gap in their photo albums, Yang was attempting to revive that lost tradition.

Soon, the blonde stood up, leaning and twisting her body until she heard her spine release the stress from sitting on the floor awkwardly. Yang signed to Ray, ‘Do you want me to carry her to bed?’

Ray replied, ‘I got it, go to bed. I gotta turn in too.’ Not to mention the fact that he yawned mid-sentence. He added about thirteen new situations, and he was still in the day time section. The mid-day and nighttime sections were pretty sparse, but they at least had two in their respective categories. He had given a progress report to Mr. Bianchi, and he did receive an actual answer. That it was a good start, but remember to keep adding and modifying the ones he had.

So, eventually, everyone went to bed, all while wishing each other a good night. Ray checked his scroll—which needed to be charged—to see the time was just before midnight. Ray was shocked, it has been this long? They sat down at seven, just as dinner finished. Ray moved his notebook to the coffee table and eventually loosened Ruby’s grip so she could koala him. He trudged up the stairs fighting a yawn before arriving at the sister’s room. Yang and Ruby share a room since everyone else was temporarily crashing here. Speaking of, he needed to organize a trip to Vale so they could see their Parents/Guardians.

Making a mental note, he opened the door to Ruby’s room and gently laid her in the bed before slowly backing away. Thankfully, the crimsonette didn’t make a sound as he left. Ray walked down the hall before he turned to his own room. He didn’t have the energy to change, and from the looks of it, neither did Nick, so he just plopped down and shut his eyes entering a dreamless slumber.

* * *

The third-year ended just as fast as the second for the five of them. Ruby’s first year ended on a high note and she couldn’t wait to go back for her second year. She enjoyed all of her classes, and her classmates were nice to her. However, the bullying continued throughout the year, but the young crimsonette did not tell her older siblings about that. She couldn’t even tell Grace, because she would tell Ray, and then Ray would let it slip to Yang, and then Yang would end up in detention for it. Honestly, as much as she loves the five of them, they sometimes can be a bit much.

Ray, before he had left Signal for the final time that year, gave Mr. Bianchi a progress report on his prompt. Fortunately, he got actual feedback this time. He managed to have him say limit to five situations for each time of day and that weather was not a factor. However, the teacher was impressed that he was attempting to think outside the box. He even convinced everyone else to hand in a progress report, except Ruby. Ray had to let her find out for herself.

So, by the end of their third year, each one of them had fifteen situations to fully develop. To celebrate, Ray suggested they go visit their guardians, to allow time with them since they haven’t seen them as often as they would like. While they would occasionally visit, it was only for a few hours. So the option was a surprise to them. Nick teased Ray saying that he was ‘kicking them out and banishing them.’ Ray had cuffed Nick over the head for that one.

Each one of them all packed their things, hugs were exchanged and they all left the cabin. Ray accompanied them to the docks and boat before saying his goodbyes. This will be the first time they will be separated in about three years. It does hurt a little bit, but Ray is relieved by the fact that they will see each other again.

* * *

Nick, Grace, and Tera all got off the boat. “So, what do you plan on doing for our summer break?”

“Well, I plan on reading a bunch of books. Since the work has slowly increased, I haven’t had time to read for my own pleasure anymore,” Nick shrugged at Grace. “What about you two? Any plans? Going to hang out with any other friends that you know outside us?” A genuine question.

Tera scoffed, “As if, as soon as I mention my name, and people see me as Mistralian, they think I’m some sort of ‘exotic treasure’ or something like that. From both sides.”

“Ohhh,” Nick exclaimed, “Any good lookers?”

That brought a flush to Tera’s dark-toned cheeks, “There have been, but I’m not looking for anyone at the moment. Wǒ de yǎnjīng zài biéchù.” Grace raised an eyebrow, not knowing what she said, but the number of times she speaks her language, she wants to learn it. Maybe Ray knows something about it.

“Whatcha thinking about?” Nick asked, suddenly in her line of vision.

“Oh, mio Dio! Non farmi questo!” Grace shrieked in Valen. Nick snickered and Tera chuckled, further adding to her embarrassment.

“Who’s got your eye, then?” Nick asked as they walked down Main Street of Vale. Nick was on the left of the girls, Grace in the middle, and Tera on the right.

“That’s none of your business,” Grace snarked.

“Awww is that one boy who keeps asking you out?” Tera inquired.

Grace made a face that showed how that was panning out. The slate-haired girl definitely did not like him. He thought he was smooth and suave but all it made her see is that he was trying too hard. “What about you, Nick? Anyone catching your eyes?”

The Cobra Faunus stuck his tongue out, with a pondering look on his face, “No, not really.” Then, he remembered something, “On another note, my fangs are coming in!”

“Really?” Both girls said in unison.

Nick extended his fangs and it made him look like the predator he was, but his eyes still held the friendly vibe.

“Woah, that’s so cool!” Tera reached out to touch. Nick recoiled.

“SSSorry, I jusssst don’t want to hurt you. My fangsss do have venom in them. I don’t know how it would react,” he retracted them and licked his lips.

“That’s still so cool, so can you spit venom?” Grace’s eyes brightened.

“I don’t-“ Nick was cut off as he was suddenly wrapped in someone’s arms.

“Welcome home, Nicky,” Mrs. Wynn said, holding him close.

Grace and Tera stood awkwardly while Nick was getting smothered in affection. Once he pulled away, he had the biggest smile on his face. “Grace, Tera, meet my Guardian, Mrs. Wynn. She’s the head librarian here.”

Mrs. Wynn laughed, “Oh Nicky, you know they’ve met me once before?”

“Oh, we met when we got scolded for going outside the Kingdom?” Grace asked.

Mrs. Wynn nodded, “We have, and you haven’t tried to do it again, have you?”

“No ma’am,” Tera said quickly.

“Are they here?” A voice said from the back.

Out came Jackson Briggs, looking a lot more grizzled then before, his beard a little bit longer than the last time she saw him. That didn’t stop Grace as she ran past Nick and Mrs. Wynn and quite literally leaped into her father’s arms. “Dad!”

“How ya doing, Gracie?” He asked, hugging her closely. Then, he looked at Tera. “Well, come here Terbear, I’ve heard you’ve made your weapon!”

Conversation continued for what felt like hours and they thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. That was until Jackson had to take the girls home. “Serena has been waiting to see them for quite some time. Ti soffoca con affetto.”

“I know, and I can’t wait,” Grace said with firm enthusiasm. Tera nodded and felt safe knowing she kind of got adopted by her family. It felt surreal and it's already been three years. 

That, however, didn’t stop Tera from checking the missing person’s list in Anima. Still, no one had reported her and it proved that her biological family doesn’t care. What she did check though, with hesitant fingers was the deceased list over the past five years.

Tera walked beside Grace after leaving Nick at the library, and Tera still wondered why her family never cared. When the Mistrali sorted the list alphabetically, she scrolled to the R’s, and there were a few dozen.

What made her almost drop her scroll was seeing one singular name and instead of being angry, she was upset.

_ Rowe, Tera _

_ Date of Birth: XX/XX/XXXX _

_ COD: Poison, Resulting in Acute Heart Failure _

_ Time of Death: 5:37 PM xx/xx/xxxx _

_ Survived by the Rowe Family: Mr. Zhao Rowe, Mrs. Fai Rowe, and Mr. Tobias Rowe. _

“Tera?” Grace noticed the wide eyes and pale complexion. One glance at the Mistrali’s scroll told her everything she needed to know.  _ That is not the way she should have found out, _ Grace thought. Granted, she didn’t think that she would look—having gotten past that—but Grace could sympathize with the girl.

Tera continued to stare mutely at the page in front of her. Her biological family didn’t care, they never did, so they ‘killed’ her. That sadness was overtaken by righteous anger, and she was moments from erupting. Huffing, she closed the scroll and stared mutely ahead. “What?” it came off as harsh, and Grace didn’t back down.

“I’ll say this again, like I did three years ago, they never cared about you, but we— _ I _ —do. My entire family, Ray, Nick, Yang, Ruby, and even Tai. So, I’m going to say forget about them and enjoy your life to the fullest.” The slate-haired girl’s charcoal eyes earned a glint, one that dared the amber-orange ones to challenge her.

With a singular exhale, she let the tension slide off her shoulders, “Jīngxì.”

Seeing that as a dismissal of the topic, Grace’s eyes regained their normal softness. “Good, because I may have to beat it into you next time in Tai’s class.”  _ Crisis averted, getting her to switch topics is easy. Now to distract her over the next few hours to keep her mind off it. _ Thankfully, her father missed this reaction.

A snort, “You could certainly try, Gracie.”

* * *

During the summer before their fourth year, Tera was scrolling through the CCT and found an interesting article,  _ First-year Beacon team survives after having found a deceased Huntsman. _

The article was incredibly vague and it only offered the Huntsman’s name, the assignment—now that it was declassified—and what happened. The names of the team members were never revealed. However, the article was interesting.

**_Warning: this article will have descriptions not suitable for readers under the age of sixteen (16). Parental discretion is advised._ **

_ According to the team, one of which was a Faunus whose incredible sense of smell is what brought them to the site of the now-deceased Huntsmen. To the team, the hunter was pronounced dead during the altercation; the accompanying picture depicts the state that he was found in. A warning, this picture is highly graphic. _

Tera could only gape in horror at the picture but continued to read on.

_ The team had fought off the Grimm that arrived on the scene, possibly due to the emotions that the injured huntsman was giving off at the time of the team’s arrival. The leader of the team, who wishes to remain anonymous, along with the rest of the team. The leader had this to say: _

_ “The battle went on for a half-hour after we arrived. It is, no doubt, the worst battlefield I have ever seen. There were so many Grimm, we were unsure how we were going to get out of it. This mission was a simple reconnaissance, go in, investigate, and get out. ...it pains me to say… I wish we didn’t investigate.” _

_ The nature of this mission will remain out of our reach, but we can confirm that the entire team has made it back to Beacon safely and are on the mend from their injuries. While questions arise from what caused some of them, we can only be thankful that we did not lose anyone else. _

_ If you would like to submit a question, please feel free to contact us at- _

Tera put her scroll down and just absorbed what she just read. The article itself was short, but the image still burned in her memory. What could have possibly caused it? What happened to the team? The descriptions were vague at best, like how many Grimm is  _ too _ much Grimm?

She had sent Nick and Ray a text with a link to the article. She went and tracked down Grace to tell her, “Have you seen this?” she asked the slate-haired girl.

Grace took Tera’s offered scroll and read the article. Her reaction was about the same as Tera’s. “They lived through this?”

“My thoughts exactly, but I feel like this article is less detailed than some of the other ones I’ve read, and that strikes me as odd,” Tera mused, sitting next to Grace.

“So, tell me your theory Ms. soon-to-be Valedictorian,” she joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Normally, when the VNN or any other news outlet reports on a Grimm attack somewhere in the Kingdom, they normally detail the amount of Grimm. This one,” she tapped her scroll, “did not; it was purposefully vague, which leads me to believe that either the outlet is hiding something or the team involved in hiding something.”

“What? You think the team murdered the Huntsman?” Grace looked appalled.

Tera firmly shook her head, “No, I believe that the numbers aren’t there.” Tera took her scroll and showed another article that happened last week. The number of Grimm was specifically articulated at two and a half dozen, which is at least an estimate at worst, and definite at best. “Like look at this, here it is, clearly stated.” Tera pulled three more subsequent articles proving her point.

“Okay, I believe you, but the team is anonymous, how are we supposed to know who it is? We can’t just go asking around, because that will paint us in a bad light, and probably the nosy light,” Grace retorted, getting up from the table and putting her dishes in the sink.

“But you understand what I’m saying?” Tera pondered aloud.

Grace scoffed, “Of course I know, did you send this to Ray and Nick?”

“Yeah, and I want to know their thoughts when we meet up again,” Tera said smiling to herself.

“Tera, give your brain a rest, you went all out for our finals this year, take a  _ break _ ,” Grace demanded. Sometimes, she had to be the ‘mom’ of these three. Grace rolled her eyes before plopping herself on the couch and turned on a romantic comedy that she liked. Tera plopped next to her and left her scroll on the coffee table in front of her.

Jackson and Serena found them snuggled on the couch, Grace’s arm protectively around Tera. Serena just  _ had _ to take a picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mistralian (Chinese) Translation**
> 
> Wǒ de yǎnjīng zài biéchù. = My eyes are elsewhere  
> Jīngxì = Fine.
> 
> **Valen (Italian) Translation**
> 
> Oh, mio Dio! Non farmi questo = Oh my goodness! Don’t do that to me!  
> Ti soffoca con affetto = She is going to smother you in affection.
> 
> This last section of the chapter will make sense later...


	12. Graduation and Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter to the Arc, and then the next chapter is written by one of my co-authors, Will_of_Anubis. He wrote about 7.5k words, and this chapter is 7,300 words, so two long chapters.
> 
> Also, an upload schedule for all of us has been established. Every Friday (no set time) a chapter will be uploaded. Easy consistency and time for me to move along. I am 3 chapters ahead and have many documents in the background all being worked on, but the details are subject to change.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

“Haven’t you learned your lessssson yet?” Nick shouted at Cardin in combat class. The racist prick had insulted Ruby again, who was in her second year, the rest in their final year. They both wanted to fight, for Nick, it was just to make him shut up. Cardin just wanted to have an excuse of beating a Faunus into submission. The spar was to be sanctioned by Tai, as he was going to pick them anyway. This was just an added bonus.

Cardin had readied his mace in one hand, twirling it around casually. Nick had entered the other side of the arena with  _ Leech Cyclone _ strapped to his wrists. Nick looked indifferent as to why he was here, but he knew the reason. Tai was off to the side, also with an indifferent expression. “Remember, this is supposed to be a  _ clean _ spar, any underhanded tactics will be counted as forfeit, am I understood?”

“Yes.” Both students replied both locking eyes.

Cardin snickered lowly as he spat at Nick, “A slimy Faunus like you deserves to rot underneath my boot.” Any other Faunus in the room who had enhanced hearing all hissed or growled lowly at the blatant racism; however, none of them knew that Cardin was in for a treat. This was the one place where they should be equal, but Nick knew that Cardin was not his equal. He was below him, he was not above him. He wasn’t even on his radar, but he needed to put in his place.

As Cardin insulted him, Nick simply raised his eyebrow before brandishing his claws as they reflected some light in the room. To sell the act, Nick let his fangs extend and a sly grin sculpted his face. Over the past two years, Nick has matured physically. Mentally, well… his past abuse has been easier to cope with, but it rears its ugly head every now and again.

The fangs are just a scare tactic, but they do actually have venom in them. Seems Nick got two traits, one physical trait, and one biological trait. That was probably the only thing that he was thankful for when it concerned his parents.

“Now, when I tell you to start, you may begin, as  _ long _ as it’s  _ clean _ ,” Tai said before standing off to the side, arms crossed, blue eyes focused. “Begin!” he shouted.

Cardin took the offensive first, being the ‘walking tank’ he thinks he is. Nick let him come closer because little did Cardin know, he was falling into a trap. Once the taller boy reached Nick, he swung his mace with a heavy-handed two armed attack. The attack was predictable as ever, basically, he gave away his intentions as soon as he stepped forward. The Cobra dodged below the attack, the  _ swish  _ of the air moving above him, and swept  _ Leech Cyclone _ right at Cardin’s midsection.

The claws  _ tinked  _ against Cardin’s chest piece, leaving three scratch marks. Better yet, the force of the swing made Cardin him to step back, throwing him off-balance. Nick pressed his advantage. Focusing his semblance on himself, he moved faster than the eye could process and shot one of  _ Cyclone _ ’s claws at Cardin’s chest. This knocked him out of the ring, therefore ending the sparring match. In a mere two moves, the spar ended, solidifying as one of the better combatants in his class. Cardin was not much of a challenge because for all that bravado, he was not that great of a fighter.

That buzzer was a relief. Nick slumped where he stood, but caught himself. Using the gravity dust in his gauntlet, the claw retracted from Cardin and it clasped back on his wrist where he retracted them back to their natural form.

Nick stood up to see Cardin against the wall and breathing hard. “Lucky shot,” he snarked before crumbling to the ground, his own aura deactivating.

Tai’s voice announced, “With that, the winner is Mr. O’Brien.” Nick saw the small hint of a satisfied smile from Tai, but he knew the Huntsman was not allowed to show favorites. He was then surrounded by four others, all good people too. One of them had her hand extended, “Nice win, Nicky.” Grace said, now sporting long hair, reaching below her shoulders to the middle of her back. It still was a nice solid slate color, with the tips being stark black. Everyone thought it would look good in a braid, but she disagreed. 

Pulling him up, she beamed, “Nice takedown, did you use your Semblance?”

“Yeah, but it takesss so much out of me. Either I have a sssmall aura pool or I jussst used a lot of it for the attack.”

“At least you showed him because I could tell he was slinging insults at you, the Húndàn,” Tera sneered. Tera had also grown her hair out, her brunette hair was longer on one side, covering her left eye. Her stare was directed on Cardin, and oh, how she wanted to pummel him further.

‘What was he saying?’ Ray had questioned, dusting off Nick’s shoulders. His silver eyes inquisitively staring at his lime green ones.

‘Typical insults, again, nothing I have not heard before,’ Nick signed, not letting Yang know.

Once again, Yang’s temper had started getting the better of her. She would flip if anyone harmed Ruby. Ray understood why, but that did not make it right. So, he just nodded in acceptance, but a look was shot to where Cardin was.

Ray had changed his hair over the break as well, the top was still long, but compared to the sides, he had it buzzed, making it look like a fade. His hair at its longest was a third length of his index finger. Nick’s hair had always been unkempt, but he made the style work. One day they will convince him of getting a new hairstyle.

With that, Nick nodded and grinned to himself before walking away, “I’ll meet you guys soon, got to get changed.”

‘See you next class,’ Ray signed before leaving the arena. Opening the door, Ruby came in with a few of her classmates. Two of them were twins and purposely made it difficult to identify which one is which. Another was a boy who genuinely liked being around Ruby.

Therein lied the problem. The boy liked being around Ruby. It did not help that Yang had shown up and the smile turned into a frown. Yang does take mothering Ruby seriously and it shows on an obvious level. The boy gulped when he saw Yang. Ruby sighed, already putting the pieces together, “Yang, you told me that you would stop bothering my friends.”

“Right, as long as they don’t have romantic feelings for you because you’re too young to date,” Yang said factually like she was right and her whole belief was around that single statement.

‘Cut the kid a break, Yang. Tera, translation please?’ Ray signed.

‘Actually, that is not necessary,’ the boy said with a smile. ‘Ruby has taught some sign over years.’

Ray brightened up, ‘Good, then you know not to break the heart of Ruby. If you have weapon troubles, go to her, she knows them. Helped me fix  _ Ambush _ after it jammed, replaced a part and such.’

‘Yeah, Ruby helped properly assemble my weapon,  _ Nirvana _ . I managed get the normal pieces work, but few minor adjustments from her, the weapon works,’ they said. Broken sentences aside, Ray filled in the gaps.

“Bowin, stop, your weapon works fine, you did all the work,” Ruby immediately said, watching the conversation in earnest.

They bickered while the four seniors slipped away and went to their next class. Nick came out and felt immensely better. “Hey, guys, ready to head home after this next class?”

‘No.’

“Why not?” Tera asked, her hair covering her eye again, She brushed it away, only for it to fall in front of her eye. Grace handed her a hair tie. “Thanks.”

‘Beacon applications are being handed out, and I want to snag some for all of us. If we want to be Huntsmen, we have to go to some prestigious school,’ Ray said, rubbing his hands together. ‘That and we have to turn in our situations to Mr. Bianchi in a few days.’

“Who wants to bet that once we turn them in, we get an application?” Tera asked, amusement creeping in her voice.

“Wouldn’t put it past him,” Yang shrugged. “I’m just worried about Ruby.”

‘Yang, she can hold her own, she is just shy. Always has been. You cannot force someone to be something they are not. They must rise up to it,’ Ray grinned.

Yang cuffed him on the shoulder, “Quit it with your philosophical crap. I’m being serious.” 

‘I know, but Ruby is a wonderful girl. Anyone would be lucky to have such a caring person with them,’ Ray said before going to Mr. Bianchi’s classroom.

* * *

Just like that, Graduation was upon the five of them. They all graduated top of their class. Well, the top five of their class. Tera boasted being the Valedictorian. Nick the Salutatorian. Ray was Third, Grace was Fourth, and Yang was fifth. The blonde didn’t mind honestly, she was happy to be graduating. They aced their exams, they aced their projects and any surprise tests. The five of them all submitted their applications to Beacon, which Tera was right about turning in their prompts resulted in getting their applications.

At least what they thought were Beacon applications...

They were excited to be graduates from Signal. Now, they could be safe for the summer. Each one of them reflected on the memories of their time here.

Grace remembers learning more about her Semblance, and how it can be utilized to see more than just heartbeats and shadowy figures. Truesight now allows her to see the face of the person if she is looking at their face. She does remember the embarrassing time she blew up some Dust in her first year. Ray and Yang thankfully don’t bring it up. The best part of all of this was that her mom and dad were here. Her father was standing after the last name was read.

Nick knows that Faunus aren’t usually the ones who get applause, but they get slandered and racist comments, even from his own classmates. Anyone who did, well Nick smiled fondly remembering how even Ruby took a third year on for insulting him. She won, but only just. He looked to his right to see Ray next to him. Now, Nick would gladly fight by Ray’s side, and Grace’s, and Tera’s. Ruby and Yang are included in that. Mrs. Wynn—Mae—had tears in her eyes, knowing how far he has come from that scared little boy on the street.

Ray has remembered all the memories and times he had put in at Signal. The world of Remnant was a big place, and he would be able to explore it, in time. He knew he had friends who would support him, and he would do the same to them. Walking across the stage was one of the greatest moments in his life, but it didn’t top his list. From where he was as he walked across the stage, he knew Taiyang was watching. He thanked Summer over and over for giving him a chance in the family. She was truly a Huntress. Right next to Taiyang was little Ruby who was vibrating with excitement. He almost thought that there would be rose petals being fluttered across the field.

Having discovered her Semblance during training, she’s prompted to use it whenever she gets too excited, the obvious sign of it being the rose petals and the smell of roses.

Tera prides on being the first in her class, but that was mostly the business side of her when she lived in Mistral. She took to all of her work in a timely manner, even got the boys to focus on their work instead of their weapons. She tried to imagine what it would be like having not met them. It hurt to think about. As Tera walked across the stage, she swore she saw someone from her father’s entourage. Not batting another eye and drawing it up to paranoia she accepted her Signal diploma and felt elation rise in her. That, and Mr. Briggs let out a hounding whistle. She has a family, one that cares about her and once the last name was called, Tera threw her cap the highest. Ray caught it and promptly wrapped the Mistrali in a hug. Soon enough, Nick, Grace, Yang, and Ruby joined in, having crashed into them.

Taiyang had even better news for all of them once they were outside and back home at the cabin. “So I caught up with old man Oz. He told me that he was looking for aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses, so I slid him your applications, all five of you, and I swear the old man is crazy but….”

“Well don’t keep us in suspense, Dad,” Yang commented, rolling her wrists to tell him to get on with it.

“You’ve been accepted into Beacon. All five of you.”

“Shut the front door!” Grace shouted. Tai did just that and he chuckled to himself. “Not what I meant, but okay.”

“Wait, what about the entrance exam?” Tera asked. Normally, when attending Beacon, Shade, Haven, or Atlas Academy, one must take an entrance exam testing intelligence and combat.

“Professor Ozpin has always had his ways of doing things, but he also had made the exams, which for your finals, you may have noticed something,’ Tai prompted.

‘Do not tell me we took the entrance exam for Beacon as our final?’ Ray signed it as a question, but his face revealed a deadpan look.

“You betcha!”

“SSSneaky,” Nick commented. “That’s awesome though, we’re going to Beacon!”

That realization finally came over them all and they cheered. A party was in order and all the family was invited.

* * *

Weeks later, in the midst of the downtime before the five of them go to Beacon, everyone returned to their home for the time being. Tai, being the Huntsman that he is, brought Yang and Ray on some hunts. They were never very far, just in the Patch forest where they could take on Beowolves and the rare Ursa.

Eventually, they got the rest of the gang out there to fight some Grimm, under supervision. Days continue to pass by and everything seemed to have died down. Ray had kept in constant contact with his friends, letting them know if anything interesting happens. Little did he know, something exciting would happen. They even started reading up on tracking techniques for Huntsmen. Having that would be important for later. Now, the night was only just beginning and it all started with Ruby asking a simple question.

“Ray, do you want to go with me to  _ From Dust Till Dawn  _ soon?” The crimsonette asked the boy who was currently lounging on the couch, scroll in hand. The mute boy was texting his friends and they were all still excited about being accepted into Beacon, the dream that the four of them worked so hard for. Having excelled in all their classes, got high marks, and when they allowed them to spar, well, they had some fun times. Having recently graduated from Signal was still a high that the four of them were riding.

Ray seemed to finally register that his younger sister was talking to him. He put down his scroll and signed, ‘Why do you need to go to Vale?’

Instead of responding, Ruby signed back, ‘I wanted to check out the newest  _ Guns n’ Stuff  _ weapons magazine. Maybe also find more modifications for my sweetheart.’

The sweetheart was Ruby’s oversized sniper-scythe,  _ Crescent Rose _ , that she made at the end of her first year. From then on, Qrow trained her on how to properly swing that thing. It was taller than her. The silver-eyed boy rolled his eyes as he knew how much she dotes on her weapon. She even dotes on his weapon too which currently resided on his wrists in their compacted form. While his friends were blowing up his scroll, he regarded Ruby seriously, ‘Is it that important that you  _ need _ to go?’

Ruby exasperatedly signed back, ‘Well, it would be nice to at least have some company. Dad is coming home late, and Yang is out with her friends.’

Ray knew that if he didn’t accept her offer then she would resort to the deadliest weapon in her arsenal.  _ Her puppy-dog pout™. _ That thing should be weaponized. It gets even more convincing if she starts to tear up and her bottom lip quivers. The boy eventually let out a silent sigh, ‘Fine, but only for a few minutes. You know better than to trust Vale at night.’

‘With both of us as Huntsmen-in-training, no one should mess with us,’ Ruby supplied.

Ray rolled his tongue in his mouth for a moment, giving Ruby a look that made her look away before signing, ‘Sure, grab your sweetheart, and let us not cause a scene.’

Ruby lunged over the couch and wrapped her arms around him, some of her hair tickling his face. “Thank you so much, big bro. I love you so much, now let’s go before I leave you behind.”

Ray’s shoulders shook with mirth as he suddenly stood up and Ruby’s shorter stature was forced over the rest of the couch. In short, Ruby was getting a piggyback ride as he strode out of the cabin, making sure his scroll was on him all the while. Ray then used his Semblance to get them to the ports, it saved on walking. Patch only had one port and that was to Vale and back. With the island being off the coast of Sanus, there was no need of having multiple ports.

Ruby managed to hold on but eventually slipped off his back, feet flat on the ground, “I forgot you can do that,” the young girl said, holding her head with one hand while the other was gripping his bicep.

‘You alright?’ Ray signed, his brow furrowed in concern. While he was used to having his body being transported from one place to another, he forgets that people normally do not experience this body disposition.

The silver-eyed girl tried to focus, but she shook her head,  _ like a dog would _ , before her eyes focused on Ray, “I’m good, but we are walking home when we get back.”

Ray interlocked his fingers behind his head before strolling on the boat. Ruby’s gaze was set out on the horizon. Ray’s was too, from this side, they could see the cliff where Summer rests. Ray put a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder, giving her a sympathetic smile. “I miss her,” the whisper barely audible.

‘{I miss her too,}’ Ray tapped against the crimsonette’s shoulder. He used the same hand to move her gaze from the cliff so she could pay attention to his hands. ‘She may not have been my birth mom, but she made sure that we were all loved. Honestly, I do not know where I would be without her.’ _ Dead is what I would be. _ Thankfully, Ray suppressed a shiver from the memory. Thankfully, Ruby perked up some and she hugged him, her face against his chest.

“Thanks to Mom, I have a wonderful big brother and sister,” Ruby’s voice was muffled into his chest. Ray returned the embrace, letting a face-splitting smile grace him. He broke the moment by giving her a noogie. “Raaaayyyyy!” she whined, to which Ray shrugged innocently. “Meanie.”

‘But you love me anyway,’ he teased as the boat pulled away from the harbor.

* * *

The two of them made quick haste to  _ From Dust Till Dawn _ as nightfall was descending upon them. Ray let Nick, Grace, and Tera know that he was heading out and that he could rely on them to show up if needed. Vale at night was a completely different beast compared to the day. It’s like the cats are away and then the mice will play. Thankfully, the Dust shop was not too deep into the Kingdom, maybe around a few blocks from the pier.

The two silver-eyed children didn’t talk as much, both of them having different thoughts. Yet, they both had one coherent thought. Beacon. Ruby was excited that Ray and Yang were going to Beacon, but that meant that she was being left behind at Signal. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but she knows how much she gets teased for being the gun nut she is. Both of her older siblings do what they can to stop it, but they both know that Ruby must deal with it on their own.

Okay, that sentiment mostly goes to Ray. Yang gets detention left and right when it comes to defending her. Ray only got detention twice; both times because they were making fun of Nick and Ruby. Ray knew that racism was still a major problem in every Kingdom, even in Vacuo. So when someone made a comment about Faunus, Ray straight up slugged the person, and then their friends. Nick told him he didn’t have to do it, Grace was silently laughing whilst attempting to be serious, and Tera just scolded the recently-slugged about something.

The sound of the bell rang in Ray’s ears, making him snap out of his stupor. The old shopkeep glanced up from his counter, looking at the two new customers. Ray flashed his Signal ID, as he wouldn’t get one until he was at Beacon. Ruby put on her headphones and flashed her ID as well before going off to the magazine section. Ray checked over his weapons on his wrists before thinking about getting some shell casings. He might need them for initiation as potentially being stuck in a Grimm-infested forest without ammo does not sound appealing. From the gossip he’s heard along with the rest of his friends, he would need it for a landing strategy.

However, his mood completely changed when he heard the bell ring and a voice, “Do you know how hard it is to find a Dust shop open  _ this  _ late?”

Ray’s mind immediately went to Ruby. Is she safe? Has she already left? Ray made sure to stay out of sight whilst sneaking over to Ruby. Sure, he could use his Semblance, but he would rather save his Aura for when he needs it. Which will be quite soon as he heard glass shatter. Peering around the corner of an aisle, he heard the man say, “Huh… get her.” The men that were accompanying him had red and black, sunglasses, and short swords. Fancy suits, really. Nothing special. The man wore a white button-up jacket, a bowler hat, cigar in mouth, and a hairstyle that poorly imitates Tera’s. The man turned back to the shopkeeper hoping to finish what he started when the man’s green eyes zeroed in on Ray. “Ouuu another one? You kids are popping out of the woodwork these days.”

One of the henchmen that was still inside and  _ not _ fighting the girl with a mechanized scythe spoke up, more like grumbled, “Why couldn’t we have just used the bombs in the back… but then some freak show showed up out of nowhere and botched  _ that _ plan.”

The bowler hat wearing man did not dignify that with a response, but instead, pushed the henchman out the door towards Little Red Riding Hood over there.

Ray sent a glare to the man before it faltered as he realized who was in front of him. Roman Torchwick. There have been a string of Dust Robberies all over the Kingdom and this was the man responsible, it has been on the news lately. No one has been able to catch him. Ray flicked his wrist, bringing out the left half of  _ Fury’s Ambush _ . Well, Ray would finally get some use out of it.

Roman stared at Ray, seemingly unperturbed. Then he smirked, “Oh, what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Then he sighed when Ray didn’t respond after a few moments, “You remind me of a certain person I work with, she’s always been the silent type.” He extinguished his cigar before stomping it out with the end of his cane, “As much as I would love to stick around, I must depart.” Roman moved toward the door and brought up his cane, where the end of it flicked open and a click was heard in the shop. Ray barely had time to maneuver out of the way. He felt the heat of the round whizz by him. The round went through the wall, leaving a smoldering hole in its place.

Ray turned around to notice that Roman was already advancing towards him. The silver-eyed boy raised his weapon to shoot him. Roman knocked Ray’s hand away and bashed him in the ribs, throwing him to the ground.  _ Rookie move. _ Roman still had a smirk on his face as he hit him.

Thankfully, his aura took the brunt of it. Recovering quickly, Ray countered by teleporting to Roman’s non-dominant side, covered by his hair, and socked him right in the sternum with the blunt end of  _ Ambush _ . Ray did not want to shoot him in case he did not have an aura, so minor injuries it would be. The bowler hat wearing-criminal winced at the pain but continued to spew arrogance, “I’m impressed, but as I said before, I do not plan on sticking around,” he said as the master criminal fired at Ray’s feet. Seconds later, there was an explosion in the streets of Vale.

Ray did not move as fast as he would have liked, getting scuffed by a rogue piece of debris from the explosion, which coincidentally moved him right next to Ruby… who was surrounded by unconscious thugs with her scythe out? ‘Did you…’

“Nope, now shall we go after him?” the crimsonette confirmed. She looked over to the shopkeep, “Are you alright if we go after him?” They nodded, the old man just shut the door.

‘Lead on, I think I saw him head for the roof,’ Ray responded, just barely catching a glimpse of the white coat scrambling up the ladder. 

Ruby had used  _ Crescent Rose’s _ scythe function, along with the recoil to launch herself up on the roof. Ray threw himself up the ladder with haste. He would use his semblance, but that hit took a lot more than he thought. “Hey!” Ruby shouted to the man.

“Persistent,” Roman muttered over his shoulder. Then, an airship appeared over the buildings and Roman made quite an impressive leap into the ship. He turned around with a Dust crystal in hand, “End of the line, you two!” The Dust crystal landed right in front of the two students.  _ Did he take a few from the shop? _ Roman raised his cane and fired.

Reacting quickly, Ray threw himself over Ruby to protect her as the explosion went off. There was a moment of confusion as they felt nothing impacting them. The children both turned around to see a tall blonde woman, wearing a flowing white blouse, tattered purple cape, holding a riding crop. 

“Whoa-ho-ho!” Roman shouted in victory. A moment later, he exclaimed, “Huh?”

The Huntress in front of them had a glowing purple glyph. It soon faded as she adjusted her glasses and with a wave of her arm, sent out multiple purple projectiles at the airship. It wasn’t meant to destroy the airship, but to simply knock it around. Roman almost lost his footing on the inside, his cane on the floor as he stumbled up to the cockpit.

“We got a Huntress!” he exclaimed as the woman in the seat slipped by him as he replaced her as the pilot.

The aforementioned Huntress then sent an attack that created a thunderstorm above the airship. “Wait, does she have the power to manipulate the weather?” Ruby asked as she squirmed out of Ray’s arms.

‘I do not know, but stay close,’ Ray advised the crimsonette.

With the wave of her arm, the storm sent out hail that impacted the ship, one of them crashed through the windshield, which Roman dodged.

Soon Roman was replaced by a woman wearing a thigh-length red dress with woven intricate patterns, however, the shadows worked in her favor. The woman conjured something from her arm and sent it towards the Huntress. In response, the Huntress sent up a purple glyph that dissipated the attack.

However, the mystery woman raised her hand up, creating what looked like a mini black hole. The Huntress flipped backward as an explosion rose out of the black hole. The resulting debris was perfect for the Huntress’ next attack. Using the debris, she sent it forward in the shape of a spear.

The woman in the ship—which Ray named her ‘Flame Dress’, a terrible name, but what else was he  _ supposed  _ to call her—sent flame attacks to disrupt the spear. However, the spear reformed and was heading straight for Roman. With quick thinking, he veered the ship to have it skid off the still-intact glass.

When that happened, the spear split into three different projectiles. Before they could disable the engine, Flame Dress quickly sent a pulse attack, dispelling the Huntress’ projectiles. As a result, both Ray and Ruby unfolded their weapons.  _ Crescent Rose  _ in rifle form, and _ Fury’s Ambush  _ in combined shotgun mode. Both of them were firing at Flame Dress.

Much to their surprise, the woman casually stopped all of their bullets and even sent one back at the two of them. Ray stood in front of Ruby, taking the bullet. Good thing too, it was one of his and the slug grazed his shoulder, making his aura flash. He didn’t flinch from the searing pain but looked forward to seeing the woman waved her hand and multiple fake black holes appeared behind them. Eyes wide, he reached back and grabbed Ruby.

The Huntress, with her quick thinking, used her riding crop to send them forward into a tumble whilst she did a front flip. Landing on her feet, she looked up to see the side door of the airship close and fly off into the night, leaving the trio on the roof. Ray immediately reloaded and disassembled his weapon and it retreated back down to his wrist guards. He still held his shoulder to realize it came away red. This did not go unnoticed by the Huntress, her face twisted into a frown. “You’re a Huntress!” Ruby exclaimed from the ground looking up at the older woman. “Can I have your autograph?” Ray rolled his eyes with a fond smile, but it came out as a grimace, considering his current state. The woman’s glare was anything but pleasant.

‘Ruby, you got anything to cover my shoulder?’

The crimsonette did a head tilt, before noticing his hand, “OhmygoodnessRayyourrehurtImsosorryareyougoingtobefine?”

Ray put his non-bloodied hand on her shoulder calming her, ‘{I will be fine, just a minor scrape, but I do not want to come home with blood on me.}’

“Ahem,” the woman was watching the interaction with a raised eyebrow. It made it worse that she was tapping her foot and her heels were clicking on the rooftop. This was certainly not going to be a good conversation.

“You two are in so much trouble,” she said with a stern expression.

‘They are going to want a recap of this, Ruby,’ Ray signed, wiping his hands clean with a cloth that Ruby handed him. ‘I will text them after. They are going to want an update.’

‘You think?’ the crimsonette signed back.

* * *

“I hope you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, you two. What you’ve done could have put others in grave danger. Do you realize how much worse it could have gotten?” The woman was pacing around the room that she brought both of them to. An interrogation room with no windows and a door with a one-way window?  _ Totally _ not there.

“They started it!” Ruby complained. Ray agreed, they were the ones who wanted to rob a Dust shop in the middle of Vale. However, they did it at night. So at least a half of a point for the smarts to not do it in broad daylight.

“I’m not saying it was the wrong thing to do, but you should have let the police handle it,” the woman said sternly. Ray rolled his eyes, his arms remained crossed and his head leaned back. “If it was up to me, I would send you home with a pat on the back,” Ruby’s face lit up at the praise.  _ Wait for it _ . “And a slap on the wrist,” she brought her riding crop down on the table making Ruby let out a startled  _ eep _ . Ray’s shoulders shook, laughing at Ruby’s turmoil. “But there is someone who would like to meet both of you.” This caught Ray’s attention, making him lean forward on the table.

The man who entered the room next was an older gentleman, whose thin-rimmed glasses rested on his nose. A plate of cookies in one hand, a cane underneath that arm, and a mug in the other. Ray took notice of the insignia on the cup but did not make any conclusions, even if it was plainly obvious.

“Ruby Rose, Ray O’Connor,” the man’s light baritone voice said. He leaned forward slightly, finally taking notice, “You two… have silver eyes.” That brought up Ray’s red flags and subsequently tensed as an instinctual reaction. Those that know what silver eyes are could mean they just read the legends or they know something else. 

“Um…” Ruby muttered unsurely.

Ray put his hand on Ruby’s knee, tapping, ‘{You know who this is, right?}’ The last thing he needed was for Ruby to be uncomfortable.

Ruby slipped her hand onto Ray’s knee, squeezing her response, ‘{I do.}’ Satisfied, he brought his hand above the table, and curled them under his chin, interlocking his fingers. 

“So, where did you two learn to do  _ this? _ ” the man asked, while the woman showed off footage of the two of them fighting together.

Ray answered first, ‘Signal Academy.’ The man’s eyes followed his hands before nodding.  _ Does he know sign? _

“They taught you two to use some of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?” 

“Well, one teacher in particular for me,” Ruby admitted sheepishly. He gestured to Ray, “He made his from the ground up.” That, and they still let them have them on their person.

“I see,” the older man mumbled something else under his breath before setting the plate of cookies he was holding on the table. Ruby almost immediately started munching on the cookies, two to three at a time.

‘Do not be feeding her cookie addiction, she will be bouncing off the walls soon enough and I will have to deal with the fallout,’ Ray signed humorlessly. Yet, he still tried to swipe one and got his hand smacked by Ruby, giving him a feral glare, it would have been convincing if a growl was thrown in. Shaking his hand, knowing how strong she is from swinging her sweetheart around; unperturbed, he swiped a cookie from the closest side of the plate and ate it in front of her. She gave a gasp of mock horror before literally picking up the plate and swallowing all of the cookies. The look of ‘How dare you’ came to mind. Ray definitely dared.

They seemed to have forgotten about the two adults who were watching them silently bicker and play like children. Granted, they were, but it was quite an odd act to see the two of them acting so close. Still, with the two of them together, it leads to much greater things. The old man across from the two silver-eyed children certainly knows them. A lot of questions came to mind, but he already knew most things about them.

One is seventeen, one is fifteen. One has applied to Beacon at the end of his Signal career, due to having been given his during his finals. Excellent scores as a matter of fact. The young crimsonette though, was certainly someone.  _ She is a mini version of Summer _ . She would always boast about how she made a clone of herself. That statement could not have been any truer.

“Well, it’s only because I’ve seen one other scythe wielder of that skill before. A dusty old crow. As for your weapon, Mr. O’Connor, quite the design I must admit, it is not every day you see combined ammo types.” the man said, making light conversation.

“Dusty ole crow? Dats mah uncle!” Ruby shouted with cookies still in her mouth. She swallowed the mouthful of cookies before apologizing, “That’s my Uncle Qrow, he’s a teacher at Signal. I was utterly hopeless before he took me under his wing. He taught me all I know about fighting with a scythe. Ray here, learned on his own, developed his own fighting style over the course of four years and the ammo was trial and error. Now we’re all like-” Ruby did a bunch of mock karate movements and noises while Ray rolled his eyes fondly.

Ruby was right, the first time after he showed it to his teachers, the round wouldn’t fire. He had to adjust the size of the slug and the number of pellets he used to get a perfect balance. He set the reloaders to those settings and so now he has a perfect mix. Ray ran one index finger off the other, ‘Tsk tsk, Ruby. You should know better than to ramble.’ He was joking, but he set his face in a neutral mask so when she looked over, she would be a tad upset. She did and he got the reaction he wanted. His eyes gained a glint that told her that he was joking.

“Ugh, you’re such an annoying big brother,” Ruby muttered.

‘Yet, you still love me.’

The man across the table gave a small chuckle to their antics before asking Ruby, “What is an adorable girl, such as yourself, doing at a school designed to train warriors?”

Since Ray was not being asked a question, he shot a glance over to the woman who brought them here. She was observing but he felt her stare more often than not.  _ What is your angle? _ He found himself asking in his mind. The woman blinked before looking back to her boss and Ruby.

“Well, I want to be a Huntress,” she stated confidently like it would answer everything.

“You want to slay monsters?” the man countered.

Ruby nodded eagerly, “I only have two more years left at Signal, and then I’m going to apply to Beacon. You see, my sister is starting there this year, along with Ray and his friends, and they’re trying to be Huntsmen and well, I wanna be a Huntress, so I can help people. Our parents have always taught us to help others, so I thought, ‘oh might as well make a career out of it.’ I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are so much more romantic and exciting,” there was a noise made that Ray could not identify, but put a hand on her shoulder to silence her ramblings.

‘I think they got it,’ Ray teased.

The woman stared at Ruby, blinking only twice while the man kept a level stare at the two silver-eyed children. “Do you know who I am?”

“‘You are/You’re Professor Ozpin. The headmaster at Beacon.’” They both replied. 

A beat of silence, “Hello.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ruby nodded in response. Ray waved politely.

‘Well, at least I can gloat to my friends that I met the Headmaster before the school year starts,’ Ray signed in jest.

“So, now on to another matter,” Ozpin said. “You’ve applied to my school, correct?” Ray nodded in response. “What made you apply?”

Ray tensed slightly before signing, ‘More of a personal reason. The best I could say is that I owe someone, but according to our dad, you’ve already accepted us. So soon too. The deadline was not for another month.’

“I know potential when I see it,” Ozpin replied, taking a sip out of his mug. “May I ask a personal question?”

Ray paused, ‘I do not see why not. It only depends on the question.’

Ozpin nodded, “Who taught you to speak Atleasian Sign Language?”

Ray looked over to Ruby, who only nodded, and he took that as permission, ‘Summer started lessons with me, but after… I self-taught.’ His hand subconsciously went to his neck. His shoulder was taken care of before they even sat down, so no worries there, but he won’t be using it for a couple of days.

“I see,” Ozpin said, noticing the gesture. 

‘My friends and I all went to Signal together. We met all by chance years ago and we just… stuck together. We work well together. So, we all wanted to apply to Beacon. Color me surprised at getting early acceptance,’ Ray signed while trying to not agitate his shoulder. The injury was in a high mobile area, so his movements in his left shoulder were limited.

“Well, attempting to stop a master criminal at your respective ages is certainly a Huntsmen trait,” Ozpin quipped, the corners of his mouth perked up. Then he turned to Ruby, “So, you want to come to my school?”

“More than anything,” she replied dreamily.

“Well, ok.” Ray’s eyebrow shot up, but gave Ruby a joyful smile. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her crown. “You two should head home before your father notices you’re gone.”

At that moment, Ray’s scroll rang with a text from Nick.  _ “Where are you? What happened?” _ Ray silently chuckled and responded with,  _ “A lot, tell you in a bit.” _

Both of them got up and exited the room, both adults watching rose petals start to fall off the young girl, her excitement palpable. Ray gazed back to wonder why he addressed him as ‘O’Connor’. While it was his last name, they seemed to put emphasis on it. Not to worry now, his little sister just got an acceptance to Beacon. Why wouldn’t he be proud of her?

* * *

The woman paced the room before staring right at the Headmaster’s face. She looked like she was about to yell at him, her eyes wanted to bore a hole in him. “Glynda, you can speak your mind.”

“Oz, that was…”

The Huntress, Glynda Goodwitch, was understandably stressed. Ozpin assured her, “I know who it was. I was surprised that those two have met. They were supposed to be separate. He did not seem to like being referred to as his  _ real _ last name.”

“That last we ever heard from them was eighteen  _ years _ ago, Oz. We assumed that their line was gone and that the chances of them even having a child...” Glynda trailed off, her arms crossed. “Add on to the fact that he’s been living with them for over a decade…”

“Glynda,” Ozpin said, stopping the blonde woman in her tracks. “There must be a reason why she never let us know she brought him home. All we can do is observe.”

“Allowing a fifteen-year-old into Beacon though? Is she even ready?” the assistant headmistress screeched. “You’ve already let in what we classify as a  _ monster _ into the Academy! What’s next?”

Ozpin took a nonchalant sip out of his mug, eyeing the Headmistress, “Do you want me to try and make it worse?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistrali (Chinese Translation)
> 
> Húndàn = Bastard (In this specific case, it was meant to say Asshole)


	13. A Wolf in the Vale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Conversations with the Authors', courtesy of Discord DMs:_
> 
> A: **Warning, Some Graphic depictions of violence.** Also, Hi I am Anubis! I am one of the other Co-authors/ Editors of this here story. In this chapter, you get to meet my OC, and fun fact, this chapter almost didn't get uploaded on time ain't that right burd?
> 
> S: WE HAVE AN UPLOAD SCHEDULE FOR A REASON!
> 
> A: But we both almost forgot...
> 
> S: That's beside the point
> 
> A: Is it though? _Insert Thor meme face_
> 
> S: Meh, just read the chapter and be ready for the beginning of the Beacon Arc.
> 
> _End Conversation_
> 
> What he said and enjoy!
> 
> Horus: Point being, we have plans for this character and how he interacts with my characters. That being said, next Friday, you'll see where some canon comes into play. Final projects and papers are utterly annihilating my writing time.
> 
> I'm patting my past self on the back right now for having the foresight to making a chapter buffer.
> 
> With this long-ass note out of the way, finally, enjoy meeting Beowulf! We are serious about the warnings, by the way.

_'Another day, another huntsman chasing me! Faaaantastic.'_ This is pretty much par for the course. An injured 18-year old jackal Faunus was running through Vale for his life. As he leaps from a trash can to the roof of the building, he hears behind him “Get back here Monster!” _‘Monster? That is a new one. Not.’_ Faunus are already treated unfairly there is no question about that. Living your life on the run is never a good thing for children, sure. Unthinkable, but that is how he has lived his whole life. Kill or be killed, this city is no different from that damned place. The difference, no places to hide from humans, cause they needed to feel safe. Leaping from one roof to another dodging more gunshots. _‘Fucking bastards! Want to feel safe? Why don’t you try fighting for your life, day in and day out? Safety is a fucking illusion!’_

Dropping to ground level with a roll, Beowulf bolts right down an alleyway. Straight into a dead end. He understands there is only one way out, the way he came in. **_‘Well, looks like we cannot run anymore. So, what now? You and I both know with that gunshot wound and only that blade that Völva gave you, you stand no chance of getting out of here.’_ ** The other side of him, more in touch with primal instincts. Beo took to calling him Wulf in his childhood… what little childhood he had. _‘Fuck! Fine, only because that gunshot has dust in it, have at it.’_

Footsteps grow louder as the Huntsmen and Huntresses close in with guns and bladed weapons are drawn. The leader steps forward and yells out “We have you surrounded Grimm. Drop the charade and show us your true form.” Beowulf has no choice but to turn around and face the plethora of weapons pointed his way. His eyes shift from bright purple to glowing an ethereal haunting Cobalt blue. One of the hunters notices and voices his concern, “Uh, guys? Why are his eyes glowing?” Slowly, the others start realizing something is amiss and brace themselves for trouble.

Beo knew that he could not talk but Wulf could, so time for the Grimm to come out and play. He feels Wulf come to the forefront of his mind and himself take a back seat. The change was relatively fast but violent, bones breaking, reforming, muscles tearing, and strengthening, with dark fur sprouting all over. The beast that stood before the Hunters was no longer a 5’4’’ Faunus but a towering Beowolf Grimm. This Beowolf was very different from the ones that roam the kingdom of Vale, while they were relatively small at around 6 ft tall this one towered over the hunters at a frightening 8’9’’ and that was not the only difference. The claws and teeth on this grim were serrated, the bone protrusions along its forearms and back were much sharper as well not jutting out like a handhold and more like a defensive barrier of spikes. **“Well?”** The Grimm looks around seeing the looks of shock and terror. A low raspy chuckle rolls out of the Grimm. **“What? Never expected us to talk?”**

One of the hunters, not able to reconcile the fact that a Grimm was speaking, snapped. “Fucking monster! You think you can mimic us!? DIE!” As the hunter rushes towards Beowulf, he stabs his scimitar forward attempting to eviscerate the grim in front of him. With a loud clang, the sword is caught in the Grimm large left paw. Fangs gleaming, a grin appears that has all the other Huntsmen backing up, promising pain and death for all who saw it.

 **“First you call me a monster, then you have the nerve to attack me with no reason other than the fact that I exist. You call yourselves Huntsmen?”** Ripping the sword violently from the man’s hand, the almost 9 foot tall beast of a creature throws the scimitar into the wall of the 3 story building to his right with enough force to bury the 2 foot reinforced blade into the wall all the way to the hilt. Then, wasting no time Beowulf picks up the average 5’9’’ man by the throat. The man started to whimper and tremble, fearing for his life. The fact that he was staring into the flaming cobalt eyes of a creature that could very easily crush his windpipe or with extraordinarily little effort to remove his head from his body was _probably_ the reason. With his head tilted the creature speaks, **“How does it feel to be on the other side of the chessboard, hmm?”** The man struggles to breathe grasping and pulling at the furry forearms. Realizing that he has ether shattered the man’s aura or the man is so weak that his own aura is collapsing in on himself. Beowulf throws the Huntsman at his companions with an open-mouthed snarl. 

Colliding with his allies, the other Huntsmen hold their position at the mouth of the alley. Beo even from his mental backseat notices this, _‘Wait, they are not moving forward yet? What are they planning?’_ Wulf on the other paw is bristling with anger and a small bit of panic, **_‘Nothing good! We need to create a distraction to lose them.’_** _‘Point taken, that collection of pipes on the building to our left, do you see it?’_ Wulf mentally acknowledges, and Beo continues explaining, _‘Remember what that Völva taught us about our magics?’_ he pauses seeing if his other half could remember the grueling lessons they went through with the old lady, the witch they both called her. **_‘We are unique, our magic does not draw from some finite resource, we manipulate what is already there.’_** _‘Exactly, that pipe has water flowing through it, if we were to slash it open and heat the water to flash boil.’_ The Grimm now following the jackal’s line of thought, continues the thought, **_‘We could make a steam cloud! And use it as a distraction to leap to the roof behind and leave unseen.’_** Feeling both the elation and cunning satisfaction from Wulf bleed through Beo grins _‘Yup!’_

The Huntsmen begin to move towards the wolffish monster, forgetting that when a wolf is cornered, they are at their most dangerous. Or in this case, his most cunning, as Beowulf lets lose a deep, rumbling snarl, readying his claws. **“Well, it seems that we are no longer welcome here. I give you this, Huntsmen: Let them think you are weak and do what wolves and fire do best, surprise them when they least. Expect. it.”** The hunters look at each other in absolute confusion, not quite understanding what the Grimm in front of them is saying. Wulf, deciding he has had enough of being cornered, slashes the water pipes. The water sprays forth from the shredded pipes with the force of a water main, obscuring the large Grimm from view. The hunters expecting the Grimm to use this as an escape rush the wall of water. Only for the wall of water to explode into a boiling blast of steam and throw the 3 Huntsmen and huntress out of the alley. 

Above the alley a pair of purple eyes quietly observe the group of Huntsmen and Huntresses pick themselves up before vanishing from the ledge. The hybrid, having changed back to his Faunus form, made his way across the rooftop to overlook the main street that ran through the town, _‘I am really glad that trick worked so well.’_ Holding the dust-infused round in between his claws Beowulf could feel the wound on his abdomen slowly closing up, _‘that fucking stung, did any of the dust get out?’_ He asked Wulf. Mentally the Grimm was shaking out his fur, **_‘Thankfully, no not from that one.’_** The jackal silently sighed in relief, as he reached the edge he dropped to all fours, throwing the bullet away, and silently stalked looking for a way down. Finding the building’s fire escape he made his way down, when he reached the bottom he tried to wiggle the ladder free so that it would not make any noise. But, try as he might, that damn thing was rusted shut. Instead, with no hesitation, he vaults over the side and drops a full 2 stories before landing with a splash with not a scratch on him.

(Start song “I Never Woke Up In Handcuffs Before” by Hans Zimmer)

Beowulf merges with the crowd and starts walking down the sidewalk almost completely unnoticed, even though he does not have any shoes on. Weaving his way through the crowd like a river through a forest, he silently _relieved_ some passerby’s of their Lien as he went pocketing the _borrowed_ currency, and not once did they notice his theft. As he passed by a restaurant with open-air seating Beowulf noticed a man stand up with some Lien and walk inside to pay what the jackal presumed to be ‘the bill’ leaving his long coat with his wallet draped over the back of the chair. Which also happened to be right in the jackal’s reach, of course. So making sure no one inside or outside was looking he calmly pulled the dark brown long coat off the chair and threw it on adjusting the shoulders and collar as he walked away, reaching into the right side pocket he pulled out the man’s wallet. A lot of stuff in it were personal items that did not interest the hybrid, so taking a portion of the man’s funds he threw the wallet behind him onto the table he got the jacket from. As the silent thief rounded the building onto a different street the man was none the wiser.

(Song stop)

_‘T_ ** _hat is pitiful.’_ ** Said Wulf with a mixture of disappointment and amusement, _‘What? The fact that I just stole almost 750 Lien and a 1000 Lien long coat, or the fact that I just pulled that off without anyone noticing me?’_ Beo felt Wulf prowling around in his head as he came upon a stand giving out masks for something they called a ‘masquerade’, **_‘Honestly? Both, they claim to be top of the food chain and yet you steal from them like stealing from a small child with them, never noticing that they’ve been robbed.’_ ** Beo mentally nodded while perusing the selection of masks. It was laughable really, for a species that prided themselves on being able to defend against Grimm… they were fucking clueless sometimes, and as far as he was aware he had no soul so in an area full of souls how did he not stick out like an Ursa? 

Wulf could feel Beo’s sudden excitement as he found a mask he quite liked, it was a long-eared black and gold jackal mask. When he looked up he saw the old lady who clearly not only ran the stand but made them, she had the same smell as the masks, looking at him. He tilted his head 45 degrees in that canine manner of curiosity as he looked at her. With a smile on her face, the kind old lady laughed at his expression then spoke, “Of course my dear, you may have it. I make these every year, that particular one I made two years ago, and no one has ever shown any interest in it.” Beo reached into the long coat to pull out some Lien to pay her, when she shook her head, “No, no, my boy, consider it as a gift. I have seen a couple of children with the same emptiness in their eyes as you, take it so that you can have something that is yours.” Hearing this Beowulf bowed his head as a sign of thanks before plucking the unique mask from the table and walking down the street with it.

 **_‘Any particular reason you picked that one?’_ ** Asked Wulf with mirth in his voice knowing the Irony of the acquisition. _‘I do not know. I just kinda felt drawn to it, like when the witch showed us the books.’_ Beo could feel the Grimm recalling the feeling they both had. Good times, _‘We need to find somewhere to bunker down and sleep.’_ Beo thought as he started looking at the hotels across the road, he knew the alleys between were bad spots. He also knows that if he steps into a hotel they will ask for Identification, something he doesn’t have so he had to settle for looking for darkened and opened room windows that he could climb up to. 

Finding an open window on the third floor of a rundown-looking hotel, Beo looks around making sure that no one would see him when he leaps to the third-floor from ground level. Seeing absolutely nobody he gets a running start and lunges up to the third-floor window. Pulling himself into the blackened room he closes the window, only to immediately regret his decision hearing footsteps at the door. Then the voices as they unlocked the door.

“I’m telling you man Roman says we just need to blow a hole in the back of the damn dust shop and Junior’s boys will take care of the rest.” Said the first voice, clearly a male and slightly inebriated by the smell that Beowulf could get ducking behind one of the multiple crates scattered about the large two-bed hotel room.

“And I am telling you, duuude I don’t trust Junior’s men. They are all a bunch of pigs, asking us if we ‘do it doggy style?’, I should cut their damn dicks off.” Says the second voice, while flipping the light switch from off to on. She was a female obviously based on what she said and her apparent anger. She continues, “What was it that Adam said? ‘This is just a means to an end.’ Let’s hope so cause I would much rather put all these human assholes in fucking chains.” 

At the name ‘Adam’ Beowulf goes rigid, that bastard was the reason he was in Vale and not any other kingdom. _‘That damn low-life piece of shit is running this operation?’_ He could feel Wulf snarling and chomping at the bit in his head, **_‘I WANT THAT BASTARD’S HEAD!’_ ** Roars Wulf, Beo knows this is not the time to lose his cool and growls quietly. _‘I want it as much as you but~’_

“Did you hear that?” Asks the female, hearing a disturbance in what should otherwise be an empty room. Her partner looks around clearly not having heard the sound she heard.

His first word is slurred speaking to how intoxicated he is, “Naaaa, I didn’t hear shit. You’re just hearin stuff cause you mad missy.” However, his partner isn’t taking any chances and pushes him towards the door.

“I don’t think Roman would mind if I double-checked that we haven’t been found out, neither would Adam, so lock the door... I think someone got in.” She says as she pulls out an MP5, most likely dust-infused, flipping off the safety and moving towards the far side of the room. As she moves past the beds looking over the crates filled with explosives, Beowulf starts to panic hearing the door’s deadbolt lock.

 _‘Fuck! We need to get out of here, but how do we do it without alerting her?’_ He asked mentally, he could also smell her anxiety so he knew she has an itchy trigger finger. He could feel the Grimm in him ready to fight, **_‘We could always just kill them. Slash her throat before she has a chance to fire that gun, then smash her drunk small dick partner through the door killing him by snapping his neck against the wall.’_ ** _‘No, we need to make an exit with minimal contact.’_ Beo can hear her heartbeat accelerating, she knew he was in the room, looking around he spots a loose wire sticking out of the crate he is hidden behind. **_‘What if it goes off in our face?’_ ** Sometimes having another voice in your head is a gift and sometimes it's a curse, which one it is right now Beo cannot tell. _‘No time, we just have to take that risk!’_ Grabbing the bare wire, Beowulf sends a jolt into whatever system that wire was attached to, only to hear a loud click and an electronic beep.

He could hear both individuals' hearts skip, “Michel? Did we leave one of the bombs wired?” The female, who Beowulf now knew to be Michel, answers with a shaky voice, “N-n-no, we made sure they were al-l-l disconnected.” 

(Start song: Destiny 2: Shadowkeep OST- Unworthy)

Sensing the opportunity, Beowulf bolts for the window, and before Michel or her partner has the chance to react, he breaks through the closed window and plummets 3 floors. Landing in the middle of the road he hears someone to his right yell, “Hey, there he is! Someone inform Glynda that we’ve found some sort of shapeshifting Grimm. The rest of you, let’s get him!” The hunters, they were on to him again so now he has White Fang and hunters chasing him. 

Beowulf breaks into a full sprint in the opposite direction hoping to lose his pursuers. Cars drove straight at him and with no hesitation he jumped on top of the hood and rolled over the roof of one, the second swerving to avoid a collision, and leaping clear over the third vehicle Beowulf moved like his life depended on it. The dust rounds flying over his head proved that, _‘Can this day get any fucking wor-‘_ his thought is interrupted when one of those rounds tears into his back and throws him through a car.

Beowulf’s entire body lights up in agonizing pain as the dust in the bullet reacts with his blood, lighting his nerves on fire as he struggles to pull himself up and keep running. He knows Wulf can feel the pain he is in, _‘I did not make it this far into Vale, to die to a single damn bullet!’_ **_‘I know that! I am forcing the blood to crystallize around the bullet to stem the flow of dust into our blood.’_ ** Beo can feel Wulf just under the surface of his skin wanting to be let out, **_‘We need to leave. Now! You won’t be able to get us out of here in your condition.’_ **Beo concedes that point and shifts, the large Grimm once again taking shape, this time on all four and when the shift is complete the creature coughs up black blood that is bubbling when it hits the ground.

The Huntsmen holding the smoking long rifle yells out, “So, you ready to give up and die yet monster?” His partners laugh and grin at the question, wanting to see the creature dead so they can take the glory. Beowulf was not ready to give up, they may think they are the scariest thing this hybrid has ever seen but they’re not. Beowulf reaches for his back as if there was a sword there.

(Song change: Doom Eternal- The Only Thing They Fear is You (Slowed down))

“Just die already Freak! You cannot fool us, you do not have a weapon.” The hunter continues, little does he realize how wrong he is. Beowulf breaks the spell concealing the sword gifted to him by the witch. With a simmer like a mirage, a large pitch-black claymore materializes on the Grimm’s back and is drawn, its name... is Nightfall. All the hunters back up as the creature holds the blade out to his side. The blade itself gives off an aura of something supernatural and unholy making the Huntsmen doubt that they could hold their ground against him.

 **“What was that? It looks like you were wrong.”** The Grimm’s words were chilling but what is said next is horrifying, **“You come out here weapons drawn, thinking your training will keep you alive. But it is already too late. You have forgotten the first rule of survival…”** At this, the hunters look at each other concerned when one of them smells something in the air. The Grimm sees the panic in the man’s eyes and summons fire to his paw, igniting the pool of gasoline sprayed out from his violent impact with the vehicle. The fire spreads quickly cutting the Huntsmen off from their prey, over the roar of the flames they heard the Grimm speak, **“...a true hunter always watches where they step.”**

One of the Huntsmen leaped through the flame landing on the other side of the flames, only slightly singed, “I made a vow to my parents that I would kill every last one of you bastards!” He screams out as he charges towards Beowulf wielding a large war-hammer. Beowulf says nothing as the angered man tries to smash his skull in with an overarm swing down. Stepping back and removing his body from the path of the swing, when the hammer connects with the ground, Beowulf reverses his grip on Nightfall and with a deafening howl goes on the offensive.

Beowulf wastes no time, striking with the ferocity of a caged wolf, he slams his paw into the man’s face and while not breaking the man’s aura the Grimm hears the cartilage in the man’s nose break. Sending the man back-pedaling away from his hammer the Grimm presses the advantage, switching Nightfall from the reverse grip in his right paw to a two-handed grip in his left and using the flat of the blade like a bat, slams it into the man’s left side. The strike has the desired effect, the hunter is sent off his feet and, with grim satisfaction, Beowulf hears 3 of his ribs break and his aura starts to crack. 

The huntsman cries out as he hits the floor and rolls a couple of feet landing on his undamaged side, looking up from the ground he sees a frightening sight. A large muscular Beowolf moving towards him licking its chops, holding a sword? In his pain-racked state the huntsman’s vision was blurring in and out of focus, so one moment the Grimm was holding a sword, the next it was holding a Scythe. Weakly he coughed out, “W-w-what the hell are you?”

Beowulf had enough of these hunters; they had been following him for days, he was pissed at himself really, _‘We got sloppy, we could’ve lost them miles back.’_ He felt Wulf push back frustrated, **_‘You know we could not have lost them, we were fucking exhausted from running. At least this way we can deal with them now.’_ ** Beowulf heard the hunter sputter out the question, having morphed Nightfall into its scythe form, he turned the blade so that the back end could be used as a hammer. He looks to the defeated huntsman letting out a blood stopping snarl, **“Me? What am I? I am the monster who is going to allow you to live to see another day, Rusl.”** Swinging the scythe just enough, he sends the injured huntsman into lala land.

Just as Beowulf turns away from the now unconscious hunter putting Nightfall on his back, he hears a large gust of wind blow out the flames and a female voice, “Ozpin wants it brought in, alive… Do not under any circumstances kill this... thing Am. I. Clear?” Beowulf can feel the anger and craziness pouring off the other being, which put him on edge. 

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure it is breathing… somewhat.” Hearing this Wulf pulls Nightfall back off of his back, he is not going to be someone’s damn pet. Hearing footsteps coming from behind he waits until they are within striking distance, 3 seconds later they are close enough that Beo strikes out and nails the individual in the chest with the pommel of his blade. The Grimm turns toward the huntsman who is sent back a bit, **“So, want to end up like your friend over there?”**

The man is clearly deranged, having this crazy look to his eyes and his words prove that, “My friend? N-n-no he was n-n-not my friend me-me-merely a tool. You see, I-I-I do not think faunus should ex-ex-exist, s-s-s-so you will be the easiest to ki-ki-kill. You are part Gr-gr-Grimm, n-n-no one will ask any qu-qu-questions when you are d-d-dead.” He then pulls out two small-caliber pistols and starts firing at the Grimm wildly. Beowulf lunges to the side to avoid the spread of bullets, deflecting some of the rounds with the blade.

 _‘He kills Faunus? Is this guy a fucking spree-killer?’_ Asks Beo, but Wulf bites back as he avoids more bullets, **_‘Does it matter? Either way, he’s going to keep trying to kill us!’_ **internally they both knew they were going to have to kill to survive, and they did not care. Not paying attention to the crazed lunatic, Beowulf is caught off-guard when the downed huntsman's war-hammer comes flying at him, striking him in the face and sending him to the ground. That is all the man needs, jumping on top of the Grimm with inhuman speed he takes a moment and leans into the Grimm’s face, “G-g-goodbye creature.” He says putting the gun just above Beowulf's heart and firing.

Beowulf’s chest ignites in pain as the bullet rips through his body, just missing his heart. Through the pain, he throws the man off him, but the man grabs the hammer and tries to close the distance again. This time, The Grimm gives him no chance to attack, standing at his full height he roars out in rage and rushes the man. Getting into the man’s guard he uses Nightfall to cut off the hammer’s head before throwing the blade away and using his bare paws, breaks the wrist of the hand holding the hammer’s handle causing the psychopath to drop it. However Beowulf does not relent, still gripping the shattered wrist with his left paw, he brings his right paw up destroying the elbow and forcing it in the wrong way. The man screams out as his arm is mangled, but the Grimm still isn’t done tearing into him. Getting behind him Beowulf digs a hind paw, claws and all, into the injured man’s back and with the mangled arm in paw rips the offending limb off sending blood and chunks everywhere, kicking the disarmed man away from him.

The psycho gets back up still bleeding profusely from his destroyed shoulder, “Y-y-you w-w-w-will not kill me before I-I-I can kill you.” Looking at the Grimm standing in front of him there is something that changes in its posture. it goes from defensive to aggressive, the ears lower, the lips peel up revealing serrated teeth, letting out an unearthly snarl. But as the man pulls out a dagger with his only arm, he does not care.

 **“If you want me dead… You are going to have to come at me with something better than that damn toothpick you call a knife.”** Says Beowulf as his blues eyes color with red at the edge. Feeling his rage boil over, he lets his claws out and prepares to send Mr. Crazy into the afterlife, through the express lane, **“Or would you like to meet your maker missing your fucking head Mr. Lunatic?”** The huntsman rushes the Grimm who could not help but darkly comment, **“So…Headless then.”**

The maniac gets only a couple of feet before the Grimm that is Beowulf is locking his jaws around the man’s neck and hoisting him into the air. Beowulf can taste the man’s blood pouring down his throat as he shreds both of the man’s carotid arteries. Knowing the man only has moments to live Beowulf bites down harder, crushing his windpipe. With a single head toss, the mentally disturbed man’s head is liberated from his body and the body is dropped to the floor spraying blood everywhere. The chunk of the throat in his mouth goes down in 2 bites and it did not taste as bad as one might think, a little gamey but good.

(End song)

Beowulf should be concerned that he just consumed human flesh, but he was too tired to give a Wyvern’s ass about it. He was exhausted, his body ran ragged trying to repair the damage from the dust rounds, so when purple energy constructs appear and wrap around his arms he does not bother struggling against them as a tall blonde woman in long heels walks up to him.

The Amazonian woman looks him over before speaking curtly, “I do not understand why Ozpin wants a thing like _you_ alive but he has asked for you to be, so I shall comply.” With a small twirl of her stick—which he later found out was a riding crop—she taps the Grimm on the nose softly and oblivion caught up to him quickly.

* * *

[Sometime later at an unknown location]

In a room with a one-way pane of glass observing a busy medical room two men stand next to each other conversing while a blonde woman stands behind them, one is sipping on a cup of Hot Chocolate the other is tightly gripping his fists together, “Ozpin I am telling you, this _Thing_ is a danger to everyone at the academy. There is no reason you should even let it live, let me take it off your hands and analyze it at Atlas so we can defend ourselves from this new threat.”

The man holding the Hot Chocolate, Ozpin, softly scoffs before reprimanding the other man, “And have you kill _him_? I think not Ironwood, he shall remain here at Beacon where we can see if he will help us with our plight.” The sharply dressed man now identified as Ironwood rolls his eyes at that notion before firing back.

“What if it doesn’t want to help you Oz? What then? Wha-“ Ironwood is interrupted as the door to the room swings open with a well-built man in doctor’s smocks, covered in black splotches, walks into the room with a medical clipboard and file under his arm along with two medical jars in his hand. Ozpin, Ironwood, and Glynda look to the doctor as the door closes.

Ozpin asks the first question, “Well Doctor, how is the patient?” The doctor walks to the table beneath the window placing the two jars in his hand down first before placing the clipboard and file down next to the jars. Leaning on the file before standing and taking his glasses off, rubbing his eyes in exasperation letting out a sigh.

“The patient is…well that’s just the thing Ozpin, he is fine now. But he has absolutely no reason to be ‘Fine’.” He sees the curious looks on everyone’s face, “Where would you like me to start Professor?” 

Oz smirks before sipping on his hot chocolate and answering calmly, “Well I would prefer if you start from the beginning.”

The doctor’s eyes roll worrying Ironwood, then he speaks, “The beginning, well the jackal Faunus cuffed to that bed,” gesturing through the glass at the 5’9’’ Faunus in the bed before continuing, “Is a clean bill of health in terms of open wounds.” He pauses again opening up the file and pulling out 12 different photos, “However, in terms of previous wounds and Injuries he is a mess.” He starts handing the photos to Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin, “50-65% of his body is covered in scars, but this is where it gets strange and this is only the tip of the iceberg.” He stops letting the three people look at and pass the pictures around. Ozpin nods for him to continue, “Most of the scars are only skin deep.” There is a loud ‘what?’ from Ironwood but the doctor continues on pulling out CAT scans and X-rays, “We figured there would be excessive damage to his muscles and bones but there is nothing matching the damage that the scaring suggested.”

Ozpin asks the question on everyone’s mind, “Meaning what exactly?”

The doctor opens and closes his mouth a number of times, before he answers, “Ozpin… I think he has a healing factor, as impossible as it seems. However, as I said a moment ago, Most of the scars are only skin deep there is a wound on his neck that while there is no outer muscle damage we confirmed his voice box is, well in a word: destroyed. At least making him unable to ever speak again.” At this Ozpin sighs.

“When was the damage inflicted?” He asks.

The doctor looks concerned, “From our best guess around the age of 3-4 years old, and I should clarify Professor he cannot speak but because of the aforementioned healing factor he can vocalize much like a wolf.”

“I trust that is not all you discovered.” States Ironwood still holding a grimace.

The doctor looks to the head of Beacon for confirmation to continue, getting a nod he walks back to the table and grabs the 2 medical jars, “We pulled these from him.” Handing one to Ozpin and the other to Ironwood, they both look at the crystallized shards in the containers.

Holding the jar up to the light Ozpin sees something in the crystalline structure within the jar, “Is that?” He asks, not believing his eyes.

The doctor answers, “A standard-issue dust-filled bullet in the middle of some strange black crystalline formation we found in a wound track? Yes, and I have an idea of what the crystal might be but I need to run some tests to confirm my hypothesis.” 

Ironwood asks the next question with interest in his voice, “So some of our own have been hunting this thing?” 

Glynda speaks up before the doctor or Ozpin responds, “That I can confirm, he knocked one unconscious and murdered another in a matter of minutes.” At this, Ironwood shoots Ozpin a glare as if to say ‘see he is dangerous’ but Glynda is quick to continue, “The murdered huntsman was one Victor Cail. After I brought the creature here, I looked up his file. He was under investigation for the murders of 4 innocent Faunus in Vale and another dozen in Menagerie. His psychological profile also had some red flags, something I am surprised your security force never caught, _Ironwood._ He most likely would have been found guilty if that Grimm did not kill him.” Ozpin conveniently took a sip out of his mug, hiding a prideful smirk from the three others in the room.

“We are getting off-topic, Doctor, anything else of note that we should be aware of?” Ozpin said, wanting to let the doctor get back to his other patients.

The doctor took note of Ozpin’s kind inflection “Yes, two more things: First, I have no idea how he will be psychologically when he wakes up, so I would advise caution. Secondly, from some quick tests we ran on a sample of his blood, Dust is a poison to our patient in that room, I can only assume that his lack of an aura and hybrid Grimm nature is to blame. If you don’t mind Professor?” Ozpin nods giving the man his thanks as he leaves.

Ironwood is the first to speak once the doctor exits the room, “Ozpin I know what you are thinking, you know that thing in that room is dangerous, we should just kill it.” 

Ozpin just nods and looks at Glynda who curtly responds, “I personally feel that thing should be dead but you asked me to bring him here alive so I am curious what it is you want to do with it.”

Her short yet pointed response tells Ozpin everything he needs to know, she will support him whatever his decision is. Ironwood will be the difficult one to convince if at all, but Ozpin was not about to throw away what could be a very valuable ally. Placing his mug and dish down on the table he takes a deep breath, “I want to train him to hunt Grimm, he seems like he is a natural survivor like Ms. Forge, furthermore I think his hybrid Grimm nature could give us an insight into how these creatures operate much better than any previously captured subject.” At this statement, Ozpin pauses seeing the jackal awake with his ears turned towards the glass pane, “So I will go into that room to converse with our now awakened friend. You may accompany me if you wish.”

Ironwood loses his temper, yelling at the top of his lungs, “IF YOU’RE GOING TO GO ON THIS DAMN ENDEAVOR, FINE. HOWEVER, I AM DONE. WHEN THAT THING KILLS YOU, KNOW IT WAS ME WHO WARNED YOU AS YOU DIE! I AM GOING BACK TO ATLAS!” With his piece said he storms off, slamming the door behind him.

Ozpin smirks at the closed door, picking up his mug and leaving the medical file for the doctor to retrieve later. Looking at Glynda he clears his throat, “Could you please retrieve a map of Remnant, a whiteboard, some markers, and a tall drink of water for our hybrid friend while I refill my drink and retrieve the keys to his cuffs?” She mutely nods and both of them exit the room to collect their items.

* * *

Beowulf did not know what this place was but it was bright, bland, and smelled of chemicals and bleach. It made his nose itch and feel like he was going to sneeze, which he did not a moment later. He tries to use his hand to rub his nose only to find he was chained to the bed, letting out a wolffish sigh he mentally feels around for Wulf, who was still pleasantly sleeping, _‘at least one of us is comfortable.’_ He did not feel comfortable at all, he had heard a man screaming at the top of his lungs through the mysteriously reflective mirror that he now thought was a window. How it was a window he had no clue. That man’s words could have only been about him though he used words like thing and kills which hurt on some level. He did not hear the other two in the room speaking but he could hear their heartbeats, they were much calmer than the man he called Mr. Volume.

The door to the room opened before he could continue down that lane of thought, and a very clean looking man stepped through holding a key ring and a, Beo pauses his observation sniffing the air to smell something sweet in that mug. He does not know what that sweet smell is but his tail starts wagging at it, _‘Tratorious tail.’_ He thought seeing a smile grace the man’s face at the sound of fabric rustling rapidly. The door opens again and the Amazonian woman walks in wheeling a small table in with a collection of items. Beowulf shudders realizing she is much taller than he is at least in Faunus form, not Grimm. The white-haired man clears his throat bringing Beowulf’s attention and ears to him.

“Hello, I trust you are feeling much better. Having slept for more than 2 hours.” At this, the jackal’s ears drop sheepishly, almost ashamed, but nods allowing the man to continue, “Well, my name is Ozpin and this is Glynda, I need to ask you some questions if you do not mind?” At this Beowulf becomes very guarded, only for Ozpin to surprise both Beo and the now awakening Wulf, who had felt Beo’s concern and awoke, by asking his next question in sign language, ‘Do you know sign language?’ At this Beo snorts gesturing to the cuffs keeping his hands at his side. Oz slaps himself in the head and Glynda rolls her eyes at his blunder, ‘Let me ask a yes or no question then, will you bolt if I remove the cuffs?’ Watching the man’s hands the jackal/Grimm hybrid shakes his head in disagreement. Ozpin smiles at this and moves to unlock the cuffs that hold the hybrid’s hands, even though Beowulf watches the blond’s eyes glare holes into the back of his head. With the cuffs clattering against the side of the bed both Glynda and Ozpin are surprisingly flabbergasted when the jackal starts signing almost faster than they can understand, ‘What do you want to know, Ozpin?’

As a sign of friendship, Oz signs back instead of speaking, ‘Let us start with the simple questions: what is your name? How old are you? And any pain?’ Beowulf visibly lowers his guard just a little bit seeing that these people are being kind to him, something that is rare. Shaking his head he replies moving his clawed hands slower, ‘My name is Beowulf, no Last name. As for how old, 18, I think. it is hard to keep track of your birthday when you are on the run. To the question of any pain, surprisingly no, none.’ He watches Ozpin’s face morph through different emotions: happiness, confusion, sadness, and finally settling on gladness, with a sense of humor. Yet internally he is dreading the next question, **_‘You mean the one where he asks us where we are from?’_ ** Mentally Beo nods to Wulf’s question as Ozpin reaches over to the glass of water and map, handing the glass to the bedridden Faunus and holding the map up. Beowulf laps up the water with his long tongue much like a canine while watching Ozpin as he adjusts the map. This time Ozpin speaks out loud because his hands are full of course, “If it isn’t too much trouble, can you point where you are from?” Ozpin can see the man flinch; Beo hears Wulf dejectedly sigh, **_‘There it is.’_ **Lowering the glassware there is a haunting look that enters the Faunus's eyes, and he looks at the map contemplating lying, but he knows if he says anything other than the truth, they might turn on him later.

Slowly the clawed hand points to a place neither Glynda nor Ozpin ever expected, The unexplored Dragon shaped isle. Beowulf can see the blonde’s eyes widen in disbelief, or is it shock? He cannot tell, but it is the white-haired man’s reaction that surprises him. It is a look of pure understanding almost like he has been there before, but that could not be… could it? Either way, it did not matter, that question is answered now and it is time to bury the other question before they are asked, ‘If you do not mind I think that is all the questions I will answer about that.’ Ozpin to his credit did not look disappointed or concerned, just accepting which was a little concerning. Concerning, because no one lived on that island. How could this man who very clearly was at the top of the field just accept the fact that: A) He lived on that Island and B) He, a monster, did not want to talk about it. Beowulf was expecting more questions, _‘This is an interrogation… right?’_ Beo could feel Wulf’s befuddlement at the current turn of events even as he spoke, **_‘I-I do not know what the hell this is anymore.’_ **

At the hybrid’s clear confusion, queue 90-degree head tilt with straight ears bouncing to side, Ozipin lets out a hearty chuckle and Glynda puts her hand over her mouth to muffle a giggle, ‘You seem surprised my friend. I must ask what did you think this was? An interrogation?’ The jackal just nods dumbly at Ozpin’s accuracy. The head of Beacon academy shakes his head in an almost frustrated manner before continuing, ‘No Beowulf, this is not an interrogation, only a formal discussion because I have an offer to make you.’ At this statement, Beowulf’s guard goes up, the last time he accepted an offer was… Wulf growls out with venom, **_‘Adam.’_ ** Glynda sees his eyes harden to an odd mix of purple and blue, so does Ozpin, signing quickly he continues his statement to take the Hybrid out of whatever memory he is in, ‘I can assure you, you will not need to do anything and you can leave whenever you like. Would you like to hear my offer?’ 

Beowulf is curious now, he could leave whenever he likes and he did not need to do anything? He likes the sound of this offer, but there had to be a catch there always was, _‘I guess we will just have to hear him out won’t we Wulf?’_ **_‘I guess, what is the worst that could happen?’_ **Neither of them answer the question. Beowulf wants to get one question out of the way, ‘First, where the hell am I?’ 

A smirk overtakes Ozpin’s face, ‘You are at Beacon Academy, a school for Huntsmen and Huntresses.’ A look of complete and utter fear appears on the Faunus’s face, ‘Do not worry, no one knows you are here and it can remain that way if you so choose. My offer to you is that you can enroll at Beacon as long as you follow these conditions.’

Beowulf pauses, _‘Conditions, I do not know Wulf what do you think?’_ He hears the grimm snort, **_‘ Honestly? As long as there is nothing to do with a collar or leash… I think we’ll be fine.’_ ** Beo is immediately annoyed, _‘we are trying to make an important decision, and you’re worrying about leashes and collars?!’_ **_‘And you’re not worried about that?’_ **There is a very loud sigh from the jackal on the bed and Ozpin continues on.

‘My conditions are: You do not kill students or faculty, even if they are out of line. You will have to go through the initiation, the same as every other freshman. You must follow the code of conduct, which you will receive when you survive the initiation. And please, _try_ to get along with other students, you may find yourself surprised. I already know of six students who you can befriend, or at the very least tolerate. Two of them, you may have less than stellar reactions towards them,’ Ozpin signed.

Beowulf nods, those were pretty simple rules, he signs out, ‘Yeah I think I can follow those rules.’ Ozpin smiles collecting his things before speaking out loud, “Well if that is the case, me and Glynda will step out so you can get dressed, your clothes are on the table to your left.” As he is walking towards the door he stops and turns back to Beowulf, “Before I forget, we did not find any shoes or socks with your clothes, would you like us to get a pair for you?” There is a shake of a head in response, and with a nod, Ozpin and Glynda leave the room. 

Beowulf shakes his head in utter confusion, ‘ _Well this is going to be quite interesting ain’t it Wulf?’_ He asks as he starts putting on his pants and tank top. He can feel Wulf gently pushing at him, **_‘Yeah, yeah, interesting. There are a thousand other words I can think of for what just happened. Hurry the hell up, they are not going to wait forever.’_ ** Beowulf puts on the long coat adjusting it and smiling, glad that the runes he clawed into the jacket worked so well. _‘Damn, I really like this coat.’_ He could feel Wulf’s annoyance and moves to the door shaking himself, opening the door he is greeted to the sight of Ozpin holding out a mug of something to him. 

Ozpin smiles at him as Beowulf hesitates, “Don’t worry, it is canine safe hot chocolate, I figured you would like something warm to drink.” Sticking his tongue into the mug, his taste buds are covered by something sweet. Within seconds he is lapping up the mug’s contents with a wagging tail. Ozpin smiles before explaining the beverage, ‘That is a drink called Hot chocolate. You might want to make sure it's canine safe chocolate though, anyways follow me we will get you settled into a room for the night.’ Beowulf nods, licking his lips as he follows Ozpin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Primarch- Old Icelandic Translations
> 
> Rusl = Trash
> 
> Völva = Witch 


	14. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Beacon Academy, everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of not running ourselves ragged, there will be a delay on future chapters for the time being. The buffer is great for all three of us, and we'd like to continue that trend. I have just finished my last paper, my exam got pushed to Sunday and I have some portions to finish in the next chapter.
> 
> The next chapter title will be a blatant reference to a franchise that got me into writing. those that followed me before this know what it is. My co-authors wanted to hit me upside the head for it, but since the way he named the previous chapter, he has no room to speak.
> 
> So, now we get to welcome the crew to Beacon Academy! The next arc starts here. Since there is a translation here, I will leave the meaning here. I was trying to make sure that it was accurate.
> 
> Valen (Italian) Translations:  
> Incredibile = Unbelievable 

A few days later, Grace, Tera, Nick, Ray, Ruby, and Yang were all together again, each one in a casual outfit. Tera was wearing an orange tank top, with brown khakis and some red flat top shoes, looking brighter than usual. Her hair was pulled to one side and combed into an off-center 3-strand braid. Nick was in his signature outfit—shorts and sleeveless shirt—showing off his scales; however, the one difference was that his hair looked less messy. A surprising change to everyone. Grace wore a blue silver romper. The design had waves and her family's crest woven into it. The caveat was you had to look to see it, and of course, her signature black ankle booties. They finally managed to convince her to put her hair into a braid, which Tera helped with. Her hair sat in a side French braid that started out as slate while the tip of it ended in black. Ray wore his black pants, boots, but wore a yellow shirt that matched his namesake. On top of it was the sleeveless vest that he loves to wear. His hair was in its natural state, into a fade style, but it was getting a tad long for his tastes.

As for Ruby and Yang’s outfits, the crimsonette was wearing a black long-sleeved blouse with a high collar and red trim on the sleeves, over which is a black waist cincher with red lacing up the front, and a matching skirt with red lining. Meanwhile, Yang was in a tan jacket that bares her midriff, with golden brown piping and short, puffy sleeves with black cuffs that feature two gold buttons. Her undershirt was all yellow that displayed her fireheart symbol on her left breast.

As for all of their weapons, they were in the cargo hold of the ship, or on their respective persons, provided that they could be well-concealed. Ray, Nick, and Tera got a free pass because two of them resided on their wrists, and one resided in a case. Grace’s weapon was in the back. However, she had something to say. Ruby’s barely got by, Yang’s was alright as they just looked like simple golden bracelets.

“You’re telling me that you two went up against Roman Torchwick, and you didn’t even call us for backup?” Grace stage-whispered. Her charcoal eyes were looking quickly back and forth between Ray and Ruby. Both of them shrugged. Facepalming, “Incredibile.”

‘In our defense, we did not actually have time to call you. We met the Headmaster as a result. Turns out, he had already accepted all of us before we met. Our exams were disguised as Beacon applications,’ Ray explained.

Yang interjected, “Still I can’t believe our baby sister is going to Beacon with us!” Yang grabbed the crimsonette and gave her a tight hug.

“Please stapppp,” she groaned.

“But I’m so proud of you,” The blonde looked to Ray, “Proud of you too, Ray.” Ray smiled and winked at his older sister.

The six of them were currently on an airship to Beacon Academy. Each one of them had said goodbye to their respective parental units, and they were wished the best of luck. The flight was completely calm as everyone interacted on the ship. Though eventually, they all naturally settled next to each other.

Grace sat next to Nick. Tera leaned on Ray, crossing her legs whilst on her scroll. Ray simply huddled in a corner while Tera laid on him. If anyone else looked at them, they would most likely assume that Ray and Tera are dating. Funnily enough, Tera came up with the idea that if someone asked, they would role-play as a couple. Ray agreed, and then Yang overheard and bet them to do it. So Ray wrapped an arm over Tera’s chest, reaching to her stomach, and gently moved his fingers. Tera did shiver slightly, but no one noticed except for Ray, and he wouldn’t oust her like that. However, Tera noticed the smug grin he was hiding.

Ray had manners. Had Yang not known them as well as she does, the pair would actually look convincing as a couple. Tapping Tera’s side, ‘{So, what are we expecting at Beacon? Did our parents or guardians ever mention their time there?}’

Everyone was looking as Tera spoke silently to translate. “Not really, my parents are in Mistral and we all know how that went.” Tera’s mind went to the time she looked herself up on the ‘dead list’. She later informed them of that a few weeks after it happened. None of them left her side for the day. She was grateful for having such wonderful friends.

“Dad never mentioned it, only that Ruby and I’s mothers were on the same team, along with uncle Qrow,” Yang mused. Ray didn’t fail to notice the slight hue change of Yang’s eyes. Ray knows all about the drama between the Xiao Long side of the family.

“Mrs. Wynn was at Beacon, but she never told me what team she was on, nor anything else,” Nick supplied. “I didn’t even know she was a Huntress until Tai walked in with you two that day.” The day Nick was referencing was when Tai showed up to fill out their applications.

Grace clicked her tongue, “Dad mentioned that he never went to Beacon, he studied at Shade. He met my mom in Vale during the Vytal Festival and moved here with her after he graduated. Bada bing bada boom, I arrived six years later.”

Before anyone could respond, a chime rang out throughout the airship. The VNN news station was on,  _ “The robbery was led by the nefarious criminal, Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Related news, the dust robbery that Torchwick was on, was interrupted by two teenagers who attempted to stop him. For anonymity, the two teenagers will not be displayed. In other news, this Saturday’s Faunus Civil Rights Protest was turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization-” _ The broadcast was cut off, much to the pleasure of the other students. Nick honestly didn’t care about the Fang. He actually resents them more than anything else. The former half of the newscast though, was certainly interesting, totally because he doesn’t know the two that attempted to stop Torchwick.

Someone must have leaked the news since they weren’t going to tell anyone except their close friends. Maybe it was the shopkeeper who decided to tell, and thankfully, was smart enough to keep them hidden.

Ray grinned to himself, as did Yang. ‘He would not have gotten away if that woman was not there,’ Ray rubbed his shoulder where his injury was. He healed up fine, and he thinks it hurt worse because it was a graze instead of a full wound.

Tera nudged him, looking up at him, “You alright?” She had to admit, Ray was pretty handsome, but not her type. She batted for the other team, but no one knows that yet, not even Grace.

“Does it still hurt?” Grace asked, sitting across from Ray, resting her hands on one knee with her chin on top. “I mean that woman did reflect your own bullet, which you made to be a slug.”

‘Not helping, but to answer you, it does not hurt, but I got a cool new scar from it,’ Ray maneuvered Tera slightly to pull his shirt and vest down to show the discolored skin on his left shoulder. It went right over the apex of his shoulder and extended down maybe an inch. Moving his shirt back up, ‘Turns out, it got worse because that section of my body sees more activity and therefore, pulled the stitches. Thankfully, I only had to be still for a couple of days. I honestly thought it would never end.’

“Aww, you poor thing, you had to stay still,” Nick teased, thumping Ray’s shoulder.

Ray mock glared at Nick, before giving him an easy-going smile. Another chime rang out on the ship,  _ “Hello and welcome to Beacon-”  _ the woman that Ruby and Ray met a few nights ago appeared as a hologram.

“Who’s that?” Yang asked.

_ “-My name is Glynda Goodwitch-” _

“Oh.”

‘Ruby and I met her that night by the way, and she is scary when she is mad,’ Ray chimed in.

_ “You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world.” _

After that monologue, Tera sat up, leaving Ray with a cold spot on his shoulder. However, he did flex his arm to get a feeling back into it. Grace still sat across from him, just looking off into the distance. She was excited to see Beacon. In recent years, Beacon got the Atlas treatment. Beacon Academy now rested on a Dust-levitated platform. It used to be on the ground, but recently it was lifted into the air, giving it the ‘floating academy’ look. The best part was it hovered off the edges of Vale—where the population density wasn’t so high—so descent would be easy.

“I can already see the idea of that going through your mind, Ray. I must say, that is one crazy idea,” Grace smirked.

‘Hey, it  _ would _ be fun, right?’ he signed as he tilted his head slightly with a mischievous grin.

“Oh it would, but please don’t go jumping off Beacon to be mistaken for a suicide jumper,” Grace warned the silver-eyed boy.

Someone bumped into Nick, a blonde boy wearing jeans, a hoodie, and a chest piece, and fingerless gloves, one hand over their mouth. “Woah there, Vomit Boy,” Yang commented.

As Grace looked out the window, she saw it. Beacon Academy. “Guys, guys, look!”

The six of them all plastered themselves to the window and marveled at the Huntsmen Academy, “Can you believe it? We made it guys!” Tera exclaimed with glee.

Each one of them exchanged a fond look. Yeah, they made it.

* * *

Their first impressions of Beacon were about as stereotypical as one would expect: utter awe. They were absorbing the sights before them and committing them to memory. Ray had wrapped an arm around Ruby, jostling her a bit, ‘{She would be proud of you, you know?}’

She signed in front of herself, ‘She would be proud of all of us.’ Ruby saw weapons and of course, “Look, he’s got a collapsible staff, and she’s got a fire sword!”

Yang has managed to grab her hood as she slipped out of Ray’s arms, “Easy sis, they’re just weapons.”

Ruby scoffed, “ _ Just  _ weapons? Like Miss Gorman had told you guys,  _ they’re extensions of ourselves! _ They’re just so cool!”

Tera walked next to the two sisters, “So what? Can’t you swoon over your own weapon? Aren’t you happy with it?”

The crimsonette’s response was unfolding the massive one-story scythe, “Of course I’m happy with  _ Crescent Rose _ , I just like seeing new ones.”

‘Never change, Ruby. Never change,’ Ray signed fondly to her. ‘Should we head inside to the amphitheater?’

“Yeah, we probably should,” Grace agreed, having arrived with her weapon case. Their lockers from Signal will arrive the day after initiation, so they will not have to worry about keeping them safe. The institution provides temporary lockers.

Yang waved them ahead, “You guys go explore, I need to chat with Ruby.”

“Fair,” Nick added as they walked on ahead. Each one of them took in the surroundings, the beautiful gardens filled with tones of flowers like white tulips, sunflowers, and even roses. The mock coliseum-like structure that surrounded the courtyard was beautiful and stunning as well. The stone was carved with intricate details that seemed to have stood to the test of time. To think, this wasn’t even the gardens. This was just a flowerbed in comparison.

Even though the Great War ended eight decades ago, the scars were still very apparent, as depicted on the stone. All the students walked past it all when Nick tensed. “Do you feel that?” he hissed lowly.

This brought three pairs of eyes on him, “What is it?” Tera questioned.

Instead of responding, Nick’s eyes shot up to the third floor of the closest building to his right, which looked past Beacon Tower. Lights lit up every floor, but only one floor did not have lights on. With Nick’s enhanced sight, he noticed a small hue difference in the darkness. A pair of purple eyes looking directly at him.

Ray followed Nick’s gaze and extended his aura in an attempt to reach, but as he got closer, a cold feeling was overtaking him. Did that mean…? Surely not, Ozpin would never let  _ that _ happen, would he?

“Are you two going to let us in on thi-” Grace was cut off by an explosion that took place further back in the courtyard.

Ray immediately started doubling back, his instinct saying Ruby was in trouble. Brushing past students like water, he found a small crater with two occupants in it. One was Ruby, and another was wearing a white dress with a frilly skirt and heels that started just below her kneecaps. “You dunce! Do you know what you did?!” the girl shrieked.

Ray quickly went to Ruby, who was still on the ground and pulled her up with an  _ eek _ . Brushing her off, he signed to her, ‘Are you alright?’

Ruby nodded, “I’m fine, I didn’t mean to do that?”

Ray turned around and offered his hand to the white-haired girl, but she stubbornly stood up on her own. She was probably disgusted by him, “Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused? This is Dust mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry,” the girl in white said.

“Ray, I’m fine,” Ruby huffed. “I was just going to apologize to…I don’t know your name,” she admitted with dejection in her voice. Ray frowned at her, knowing Ruby likes to introduce herself, but with the way this girl was acting, she was not interested.

Well, safe to say, that she looked absolutely offended by that innocent statement. It wasn’t clicking for Ray on who this was. “You don’t know who I am?!” the girl incredulously exclaimed.

“Look, I was apologizing, Princess!” Ruby said, throwing her arms up in the air.

“It’s Heiress, actually,” a new voice came to the side. “Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. One of the largest producers of energy propellent in the world.”

The girl, whose name has been identified as Weiss, said with so much pride, it could have been mistaken as arrogance, “Finally, some recognition!”

The girl in a sleeveless blouse, what could be classified as yoga pants, small one-inch heels, dark amber eyes, long raven-colored hair, and a bow atop her head continued with absolutely no remorse, “The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners.”

Ray watched with unease, along with Ruby—who giggled—as Weiss attempted to retort, “What- How dare-!”

“Yo Ray, you left us behind!” Nick shouted as he caught up with him, seeing the white briefcases and luggage scattered about, “What happened?”

Tera, however, was unable to see anything else but the heiress in front of her, “Weiss?”

Weiss’s pale blue eyes looked right at Tera in scrutiny before her eyes softened for the first time since… well, it’s been a long time, “Tera?” Ruby secretly liked that look of softness that adorned Weiss’s face and wondered what it would take to see it more often.

Grace was confused, “You two know each other?” Her fingers gestured to each other.

Tera never took her eyes off Weiss, “I mentioned back then that I met Weiss at a gala years ago in Mistral.”

“Wha- but it said- You died!” she said, clearly surprised, having heard of her untimely ‘death’.

“I told you that my family wasn’t accepting of my choice, but they…” she gestured behind her to Nick, Grace, Ray, and Ruby, “were accepting.” Her eyes drew to the scar that adorned Weiss’ left eye.

**…**

Nick, meanwhile, slipped right next to the mysterious girl with the bow and whispered lowly, “Why hide who you are?”

The girl’s amber eyes sharpened, “Why would you care?”

“Because I know what it’s like,” Nick said. “Can I at least get your name?”

The girl brought one hand over her opposite elbow, “It’s Blake.”

Nick nodded, “Name’s Nick. Did you hear about an incident at a White Fang rally ten years ago? One where Faunus were slaughtered by Human supremacists?”

“Yeah, why?” Blake’s tone carried high amounts of suspicion, wondering why this Cobra is bringing up a decade-old event.

“Because my parents were the ones killed that day, and then I was the one who spoke out against them. At that point, I could have cared less. I tell you this as a fellow Faunus.”

Realization dawned on Blake, “So you’re…”

Nick nodded, satisfied with the look he received, “Yep, so my resentment for the Fang is higher than anyone else…”

Seeing as Blake was now silent, she left without another word, but plenty to think about. Nick watched her go but knew that under that bow, there was a set of extra ears. What brought her to hide who she was? How long could she keep it hidden?

**...**

Back to the main conversation. Weiss stuttered, “But your family-”

“They never gave a damn about me,” Tera said sternly, “So they had me ‘killed’, but that also means you don’t get to take out your frustrations on Ruby because she didn’t know you. She apologized and you still chastise her.” Tera exhaled before walking up to the heiress and hugged her, taking her by surprise, “However, I am glad you’re alright. For years, I worried about you, wondering what was happening with you.”

Weiss didn’t know how to respond to Tera’s affection. “When we went to visit your family after your ‘passing’, one of your maids had let me know that you were in Vale, a secret she kept since you left.”

“Marie?” Tera asked, pulling away to make eye contact with the heiress. Weiss nodded in confirmation. “Thank dust, I really hoped she still is keeping it a secret, but I would not put it past my dad to find out some other way.”

“I did not know I was going to see you again,” Weiss said, looking away, still not returning the affection and if she was, it would be begrudgingly and hesitantly. “Anyway, we will have time to ‘catch up’ at a later time.” With that, she separated herself from Tera and started to walk away.

‘That was certainly unexpected,’ Ray signed to Tera, and Weiss happened to be glancing back at that moment.

_ He knows Atleasian Sign, hmm? Where and who did he learn it from? _ The heiress thought as she headed inside to the amphitheater.

“So, that happened,” Grace commented, looking to Tera.

“I never expected her to even leave Atlas. So, she must have a reason,” Tera shrugged, looking to Ruby, who still had a lovey-dovey expression on her face. Tera smirked but chose not to comment.

“Anyway, let’sss head inssside. I think the Headmassster is going to give a sssmall speech to us all before we get told the itinerary for tomorrow,” Nick said, wondering where the other Faunus went. The five of them all followed where Weiss went, at least until they head inside, then they will find a place to relax until the day is over. Hopefully, everything goes right.

* * *

Beowulf watches all of these children walking into Beacon from the airships. He can tell most of them have never seen a fight, let alone a fight to survive. Looking down at the new weapons, he smiles remembering the boisterous little blacksmith who had fashioned the Two 500 Magnum handguns and double-edged serrated Tanto.  _ ‘I wonder how she’s doing…’  _ He can feel the smile on Wulf’s face even as he speaks,  **_‘That little motor-mouth? She is probably still over the moon that she got to build something for someone as unique as us. Or pissed off to high hell that she cannot do more actual smithing.’_ ** As Beo goes to grab one of the 500 Magnum magazines he feels a pair of auras extend out to him. Only one passed him while the other never reached him; however, it could have, so they must have intentionally stopped.

He feels the hair on the back of his neck stand up along with Wulf prowling in the back of his head, someone was investigating and he did not like it. So he decides to scare them a little bit and lets some of his anxiety and rage bleed out into the world. Looking out of the window, he spots the intruding individuals, a Cobra Faunus, and what looks like a couple of humans. The cobra has definitely seen some trouble, some of his scales were damaged he could tell, but as he looks at the boy next to him he feels Wulf get a little antsy,  _ ‘What is wrong?’  _ **_‘I do not know, just be careful around that kid.’_ ** Beo does not need to inquire any further, if his instincts are saying to be cautious he would listen. Seventeen years of hell tends to make one incredibly suspicious of anything and everything, especially something or  _ someone _ that every fiber of his being is telling him danger.

Looking up at the clock, he realizes that if he does not start moving he is going to be late for that… thing that Oz wanted him to be present for. Grabbing the magazines he loads them into the guns he has called  _ Calm  _ and  _ Rage.  _ Holstering both guns he grabs the tanto, sheathing it, and grabbing his coat he stands up from his chair. Reaching the door he grabs Nightfall, putting it on his back, and recasts the hiding spell before opening the door and leaving.

* * *

Once inside the amphitheater with all the other first years, Ray sank into the background, leaning on a pillar. Nick and Grace took place beside him and they engaged in quiet conversation. Tera, on the other hand, went to go find Weiss again. She still had a couple of questions to ask her.

Up in the upper levels of the amphitheater, Beowulf looks down at all of the first-years that he was supposedly a part of. He had arrived shortly after most everyone else and had lept to the higher levels to avoid people noticing him or asking questions,  **_‘Most of them look like cannon fodder.’_ ** At that Beo quietly chuckles before replying back,  _ ‘Honestly, most of them would not survive a day in our shoes.’  _ Wulf mentally nudges Beo to look in a direction and as he looks he asks,  _ ‘What is it?’  _ **_‘They might…’_ ** Looking he sees the Cobra faunus standing with 7 others; they did not look like much at first glance but he knew better. Two of them had silver eyes,  _ ‘Yeah, but take away the silver eyes what then?’  _ He says almost in disdain, Wulf is quick to fire back,  **_‘Sure 2 of them have silver eyes but you know why I said they might… They have what we do not, a family.’_ ** Beo quietly sighs, coinciding with that fact before returning his eyes to skimming the crowd, looking for the weak links. 

What Tera did see was Ruby jumping into Yang’s arms, which admittedly, was a little funny, but once she saw Weiss, she strode over to her. “Weiss, a word?”

The heiress turned, a glare in her eye, but it went away when she saw it was Tera who was addressing her. “Wait,” Yang said, “You know this Ice Queen?”

Weiss looked offended by the nickname, but before she could voice that, Tera beat her to the punch, “For the last time Yang, I told you all back in Signal that I met the heiress at a gala. After that, I snuck away to Vale with Grace’s father and her.” She turned towards Weiss, “How have you been, and don’t try to write me off on this.” 

“There is nothing wrong with me, but I appreciate the concern,” Weiss said, but the mask on her face says differently.

Her amber-orange eyes narrowed, “You forget that I was also raised in Mistrali high class, which by the way, is  _ much _ more restrictive than Atlas. So, let’s try that again.” Tera gently grasped the heiress’s wrist and pulled her away. Weiss protested, of course, but Tera was not having any of it.

Pulling them to a stop, Tera turned herself around and looked directly at Weiss. Meanwhile, Weiss was complaining, “Unhand me!”

“You know that I can see through that mask, right?” Tera confronted her, bluntly might she add.

“I have no clue what you are talking about, Ms. Rowe,” Weiss said firmly, feigning ignorance.

Tera sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get through to her, “Fine, I’ll let you off the hook, but a word of advice, _ bùyào shānghài Ruby, fǒuzé nín huì hòuhuǐ de. _ ”

Weiss, having studied all of Remnant’s known languages in the spare time of her spare time, realized that she was just threatened, “Excuse me?”

“Yang will gladly take you on if you mess with her sister, and I will too,” Tera’s face softened. “You might find she is a really nice girl, so don’t be super stuck up because you aren’t in Atlas, you’re in Vale. The faster you understand that the faster you can relax, you’re too tense.”

With that, Tera walked off to find the rest of her friends, that was when Professor Ozpin began his speech, “I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.”

Then, Glynda Goodwitch, the assistant Headmistress, spoke right after Ozpin, “You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed.”

There is a quiet snarl from the upper level, Beowulf hates being confined, and furthermore, he hates crowds, putting those things together.  **_‘That is a fucking recipe for some bloodshed, We need to speak to Ozpin right away.’_ ** _ ‘That right, but we need to be careful the fewer people we run into the better.’  _ Beo feels Wulf nod in agreement and looks over the edge, most everyone is filing out so he could jump over the ledge and land but someone would start asking questions. Not something he wants, so does he wait? Feeling another aura wash over him, he decides to wait. 

Nick barely hears a noise and shoots a glance above him, but disregarded it in favor of not worrying his friends. However, he did send out his aura above him to confirm if he was really crazy. To his surprise, there was  _ someone _ up there, but as for who, the Cobra Faunus did not know.

With that speech of the way, the six of them all met up, “So, did anyone else get a vibe from him?”

Ray concurred, ‘He seemed… out of it. Anyway, we do not have to go to the ballroom until ten tonight, so who is up for exploring?’

All of them raised their hands, Ruby being the most excited, “Let’s go!” She ran by Ray, grabbing his hand and almost dragging him. So, Ray scooped up Ruby on his right shoulder and bolted. Yang and Grace were giggling at his antics. Tera rolled her eyes before following along. 

“Come on Nick, we better go get them, because next thing you know, they will be bouncing off the walls,” the Mistralian said, fixing her outfit.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said as he slithered by a bunch of people with a grin before making out into the open air. “Now, if I was Ruby, where would I go first?”

“Maybe the forge?” Grace said, moving some loose hair out of her face. The wind had picked up since then. The reason being was because the school was moving towards the Emerald Forest for initiation tomorrow.

They all rushed off to find the two silver-eyed children. Weiss, on the other hand, was walking out of the amphitheater as she saw the group running, with a Faunus no less. Her hatred for them ran deep and little to nothing will change that. Although, the girl—Ruby—did look really cute for being a bit younger.  _ Wait, what? Ugh, stop being useless, Weiss. _

Blake saw the heiress leave and decided to head up to a roof to read in peace. She brought her bag with her that had all of her books that she wanted to read. Unfortunately, she had to leave a lot of them behind with the White Fang.

Well, it just happens to be that they weren’t at the forge, but at the library, then the cafeteria, and basically any place that was not restricted to potential students. Ray even recalls running by—through—a second-year team. He used Mirage to phase him and Ruby through it. Once he recovered, he was out of breath.

‘Ray, are you sure you are alright?’ Ruby signed once they both got up. She turned around and said, “Sorry about that, we’re exploring the grounds before initiation.”

‘Ruby, I am fine, but I am going to need to rest tonight if I am to survive tomorrow,’ Ray signed.

‘Not if,  _ when _ ,’ Ruby corrected.

‘Of course,’ Ray signed as he dusted himself off and waved an apology.

They didn’t stick around long enough to hear the reply as they ran off again. Much to the bewilderment of all the students, they never separated, but eventually realized that their friends must be looking for them.

Ruby and Ray ended up in the ballroom a few minutes before curfew. Yang was considerably worried as she stomped over and glared at the two of them,  _ “Where have you been?” _

“We were exploring the grounds! Relax, we were fine,” Ruby waved her hand.

“Then why does Ray look ready to pass out?” Yang asked, looking at him.

‘Because I had to phase through a group of students and dragged Ruby with me. I am exhausted because Mirage takes a lot more out of me, even for a second,’ Ray explained.

Grace had seen them come in and immediately dragged Ray away, “We’ve been worried sick about you, you know? We couldn’t find you, and we thought you got lost.”

Ray looked at her in surprise, never has he seen her get so upset, ‘I am sorry, but is there a way I can pass out in the next five minutes?’

Grace’s eyes softened and dragged him over to where Nick and Tera had set up all their bedrolls. Ray nodded his thanks, changed, and yawned before literally collapsing on it, sleeping peacefully. The three of them all looked impressed at how fast he passed out.

“Wow, he must have been really tired,” Tera remarked before literally snuggling up next to him.

“Now where’s the marker?” Nick half-joked. Both girls snickered, but they knew better than to prank Ray when he was so exhausted. “You know, if I didn’t know you two as well as I do, I would swear you’re clingy as hell and dating,” Nick smirked. “Didn’t know he was into brunettes.”

“Shut up!” Tera squawked. “He’s actually warm, that’s all.” That didn’t stop Nick from seeing a blush coat Tera’s face. She used her hair to hide her face.

“Can’t you see people are trying to sleep?!” The three of them looked over and saw Weiss yelling at Ruby and Yang to keep it down. Ironic, as she is the one who is keeping them up. However, Ray did not move. In fact, he was peacefully asleep, with a small smile on his face.

An announcement came over the PA system, _“Curfew has commenced, anyone caught outside will immediately be dismissed from Beacon’s grounds. Rest up and wait for the announcement tomorrow._ _Welcome to Beacon.”_ Looks like Glynda doesn’t mess around, and they shouldn’t.

“Well, with that being said, good night,” Grace said, wrapping herself in her own bedroll.

“Night,” Nick said, doing the same before closing his eyes.

Tomorrow was going to be a day, one where they might not even survive, much less come out unscathed.

Not a single student notices the Bluish purple eyes looking down on them, Beowulf does not like the fact that he has to be in the same building as 437 different people. How are they all going to fit in that tiny ass room? It is just aggravating, stick a wolf in a Dust damned circus with a bunch of children and you’ll get the same results.  _ ‘At least Oz is letting us hunt whenever so we just have to be in here by morning.’  _ Both Beo and the Grimm were thankful for this little grace, it allows Wulf to move about freely without worry of being shot at and for Beo to enjoy the fresh air instead of machine filtered air for the building. 

Watching as the last student closes their eyes, a grin appears on Beowulf's face because that last individual going to sleep means that the Wolf can run free. Moving to the window he picks the lock keeping it shut, _‘This so easy a Beringel could do this.’_ He feels an excited mental push from Wulf, **_‘Come on, Come on, Come on! We could be hunting already.’_** Beo pushes back, _‘Chill I am alllllmmmooosst there, and done.’_ With a quiet _click_ , the lock is undone and pocketed. The hybrid silently opens the window looking back on the room of gift-wrapped meatbags, _‘Well as much as would like to stay and watch.’_ ** _‘We’ve got places to go, things to feast on, stuff to kill… Ta ta.’_** Leaping out the window Beowulf shifts mid-air and runs off on all fours to hunt. 

* * *

Running away from the ballroom Beowulf reaches the edge of Beacon, sliding to a stop he puts his nose up to the air sniffing for prey.  _ ‘You know we probably are going to need to jump off to find food.’  _ The large Grimm seems to shake with laughter,  **“Well of course we’re going to have to jump, do you see any forest on this island?”** Feeling Beo roll his eyes, Wulf grins, looking around and seeing no one around the nine-foot monster leaps with no hesitation. 

Beo and Wulf both found the simplicity of nature calming, even when falling at terminal velocity, so even as the ground came up to meet them there was a fanged smile on the creature’s face.  _ ‘Good thing there was a rainstorm today,’  _ thought the Faunus from his mental backseat,  **_‘Yeah that means we can try this.’_ ** The free-falling Grimm throws out his paw as if reaching for something below him. The puddle far below begins to bubble like it is boiling, only for a tentacle to shoot out with a violent splash and wrap around Beowulf stopping his descent almost immediately. Letting out a hacking cough from the tentacle’s tight he pats the squid-like appendage to get it to let go. It does dropping its fuzzy catch into a puddle of mud mucking up his fur. The tentacle waves to the Grimm as it sinks back into the puddle, disappearing as quickly as it appeared.

**_‘Why do I feel like that was his way of getting back at us for the training fiasco back at the witch’s place_ ** **?’** Asks Wulf as he shakes the mud and water out of his fur. Beo is laughing at the memory of the panicked summoning of his water familiar,  _ ‘yeah, it most likely was the only way he could get back at us without hurting us.’  _ Finishing shaking his fur clean, Wulf huffs before taking off towards the forest.

Reaching the tree line Wulf begins to look for deer tracks in the soil, at first he does not find anything. As he continues checking the border of trees he finds the scent of a buck, but no tracks. Not that it really hampers him in any real way, only forcing him to follow the scent into the forest till he finds its tracks. Lowering himself to all fours Beowulf starts hunting, crawling through the underbrush with a quietness that a creature of his stature and size should not have. He soon comes across his prey, a medium-sized white-tailed buck. He has a decent pair of antlers on his head, they will not save him from the beast that is stalking him. 

Stepping around the dried branches and dead leaves Beowulf moves downwind of his prey, its heart beating slowly confirming to him that the buck has no clue that he is being stalked. The low prowling Grimm licks his lips in anticipation of the blood of his food. Ceasing his movements he waits for the perfect opportunity to strike. Startled by something the birds amongst the trees fly away in fear catching the attention of the deer below. Beowulf sees the deer look to the sky and lunges; with a mighty howl, the large creature lands in front of the prey and nips at it. Shaken from its stupor the deer panics and bolts with Beowulf keeping pace right behind it. Both Wulf and Beo find the thrill of the hunt to be intoxicating, whoever said to not play with your food, clearly had never hunted live food. The deer breaks free of the trees and stops looking around, the thing that had been chasing it was gone. Beowulf slams into the buck with his head sending it airborne, the shock is still in its eyes as it falls back to the ground. Growling Beowulf lets the buck get back up on to all fours, when the buck gets up it turns towards the Grimm and charges. Seeing the buck charge Beo wastes no time meeting it halfway, grabbing the antlers and tossing it into a tree off to the side.

There is a sickening crunch as the buck hits the tree, its vertebrae shattering like glass, the animal tries to get back up but with its back legs immoveable the deer can only bring its front up weakly, sealing its fate. Normally he’d let it bleed out and die, but not tonight, not when he has his longest hunt in a handful of hours. Lunging forward, Beowulf bites into its throat, severing arteries, crushing the windpipe, and tearing free, killing the deer with a spray of blood across the nearby trees. With his prey now expired, the starving Grimm rips open the tender underbelly with a gush of blood and begins to feast.

_ ‘So anything good in this one? That last one only lasted us a couple of days.’  _ Most would think that the human in Beo would detest the animalistic feeding that Wulf has when ripping into a carcass. Beo always got a laugh when people would say that a wolf tore into the poor animals he killed,  **_‘This one’s meat is better, more tender and… there it is.’_ ** There is a pause in the mental conversation as the Grimm pulls out the buck’s liver with a wet rip, consuming said organ with the gusto of a starved prisoner,  **_‘Oh, this is really good can we find another one?’_ ** Wulf asks as Beo mentally shoves him,  _ ‘No, we need to finish the whole thing, barring the brain and intestines, then we can think about getting another.’  _ It always is a pain when feeding cause if they have not hunted in a week sometimes they could consume two entire deer. Troublesome, at the least, problematic, at most. He continues to rip the meat and tendons clean off the bones as the moon rises higher into the night sky,  _ ‘Tomorrow is going to be interesting.’  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistrali (Chinese) Translations:  
> Bùyào shānghài Ruby, fǒuzé nín huì hòuhuǐ de. = Do not harm Ruby, or you will regret it.


	15. "What are you, my Savior?" Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Beacon's initiation! Where people get thrown into forests and expected to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Early Boxing Day!
> 
> **Had the Trailer chapter (Chapter One) not been uploaded, this is a reference, blatant one at that, to the series that got me (Horus) into writing. the temptation to do this reference was overpowering, so I do not fault you for being upset.**
> 
> Hello! We are not dead, but we have been busy making future chapters. Like really far along the story future chapters. They are currently equal (in word count) to the story's current length, so there's that.
> 
> Also, we all had a hand in this one, and this was 8.6k words. Part II is estimated to be the same length. So big chapters coming from us.
> 
> Hope you enjoy _our_ version of initiation. There are small liberties taken here, as a forewarning.

All four of them were refreshed for the next day—more like the ass crack of dawn—and they had showered, and gotten dressed in some privacy. Although other girls got a good look at Ray’s bare chest, he only looked back to Grace and Tera, ‘I know I should be flattered, but this is honestly kind of unnerving.’ He had everything on that was below the belt, but he didn’t particularly care walking out half-dressed in the public locker room. Nick had followed him out, already dressed for the most part.

Some comments were thrown, but Nick ignored them, he’s heard the worst of the worst, so these are literal child’s play. What these people don’t realize is that he could be the one saving them someday.

‘You are saying that but even I have to admit, you do fill out nicely,’ Grace signed with a lopsided smile.

Ray had the decency to blush at the flirt, knowing Grace didn’t have any implications towards him. She was merely observing, ‘Yeah, but that does not mean I like to be stared at like this.’ Ray signed, before putting on a faded sunray-colored shirt along with his sleeveless vest. He loaded up on ammo, stuffing it into every pouch. He even checked the pistols and loaded them.  _ Fury’s Ambush _ was ready. 

Grace finally got to unveil  _ Deliverance _ from its case, the crossbow-rifle hybrid she finely tuned for today. Once she showered, she put on her combat outfit. A tank top and a thin jacket—one she wouldn’t miss if it got destroyed—and form-fitting sweatpants that held her ammo, her quiver rested on her back, arrows peeking over her right shoulder. She slid on  _ Precursor’s Reach _ and put on her ankle booties. She was ready, but the shake of her hand said otherwise. The nerves were getting to her, both the good and the bad.

Ray noticed this and grabbed her hand and put it to his heart. His message was clear,  _ focus on my heartbeat _ . Grace noticed he was calm, even his eyes said so. “Okay, sorry, it's just-”

‘I understand. I am more worried for Ruby than anyone else,’ he signed with a sheepish expression. ‘I am just better at hiding it.’

Nick donned his normal outfit, no surprise, but added some pockets to hold his ammo. He swapped out his shoes for boots because of the mud that he might encounter. If the Patch forests had mud in them, then he can expect the Emerald Forest to be a swamp.  _ Leech Cyclone _ rested on his wrists. “Don’t worry Gracie, we’re going to kill it today. We’ll all be together no matter what. Based on a hunch, they will organize us alphabetically and launch us off.”

“That does not inspire confidence in me,” Tera quipped, having put on some baggy cargo pants, and a t-shirt that exposed her midriff. Her shirt was a warm orange color, subtly matching her eyes. Her red flat tops were replaced with a pair of boots. The only who will struggle today with mud will be Grace.

“Come on, Ter, don’t be sssuch a downer,” Nick groaned before checking himself over once more before checking to make sure that his friends had everything they needed.

_ “Would all first-year students in the first group please report to the east side of the grounds for initiation? Repeat: All first-year students in the first group please report to the east side of the grounds for initiation.” _

“That’s our cue, let’s rock it!” Nick said enthusiastically.

Off to the side, and out of the other’s line of sight, Beowulf lets out a wolfish yawn and adjusts his quiver, the morning was always dangerous for him. But this time was strange, he woke up before the sun and his first instinct was to grab his claymore and get ready for a fight, only there was no one near him. Then, as he breaks out to go hunt breakfast Ozpin is standing right outside that window as if he knew which one he had broken out of the night before. Of course, Beowulf figured that Oz had people watching the building, but that was beside the point, the professor wanted to speak with him to tell the hybrid that if he slips up during the initiation and kills a ‘fellow’ student he’ll be fine for today. Professor Goodwitch told him which pad to stand on and to await the rest of the group to arrive. As he walks to the B’s both Beo and Wulf internally breathe a sigh of relief, they would be able to hunt naturally and if they snapped and kill someone, no one would ask any questions.

The walk was quiet for the four students, as was the weather, a light breeze swept through Beacon’s grounds. Each one of them was thinking about what they had to do today, what they had to do to survive. They heard that initiation was a literal fight for your life. Tai had mentioned it a few times, but now they were literally about to experience it.

When they arrived at the east side of the grounds, they saw numerous pads with Beacon’s insignia on it. The view was currently looking over the Emerald Forest, or what was soon to be their battleground. The sun was barely rising over the horizon at this point, making the sky bright orange, and presumably, in twenty or so minutes, the sun would be high enough to clear everyone’s visibility for the most part. Being this high up makes the fog that currently lingered that much more bothersome.

“Welcome,” Professor Ozpin said, not at all perturbed about sending a bunch of children to their potential deaths, “please stand on each pad in alphabetical order to the best of your abilities, we have two other groups that need to go through initiation. Last names starting with ‘A’ please stand over to your left and last names starting with ‘Z’ stand over to your right.” Each pad was around two and a half feet all around, making a square. The indentations in the ground meant that these were recently installed, but the fact that really drew everyone’s eyes was the fact of how  _ old _ they looked.

Grace went one way towards the B’s, while Nick, Tera, and Ray went another, towards the O’s and R’s. Based on a guess, and a little direction from Professor Goodwitch, Ray and Nick were next to each other while Tera was a bit further down to their right. Grace was close to the front, next to a girl in a bow which she believed her name was Blake if Nick told her correctly.

Instead of making conversation, Grace decided to take deep breaths to relax before clenching her hands. Ozpin’s voice carried out that of a loudspeaker so that everyone can hear them, “For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest.”

Glynda took over, “All of you will be launched at once, and none of the pads will make you collide with another student, but they vary in strength in order to not pair you up with the person to your immediate left or right. Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of ‘teams.’ Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...  **today** .” Glynda delivered this without mercy, and the two boys looked at each with raised eyebrows, knowing they were going to prove one of her statements false, kind of.

Ozpin took over once more, something that might happen a lot today, “These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well.”

That brightened up Ray, Nick, and Tera, but that made Grace worry immensely. She wanted to be on a team with one of her friends, or at least partners. She was far away and if they are all launched at once, then that means the chances of finding someone else were extremely and dangerously high. All the while, the wind started to pick up. One was figiditing, another was looking around, and another was much more collected than they should be. One thing that Grace took notice of was that there were a  _ lot _ of pads. She later found out that there were 124 pads littered across this stretch of land. They all seemed so compact, but when filled up with students, it was even more so. Adding to the fact that you could see Beacon move ever-so-slightly if one focused hard enough into the Forest.

The visibility was certainly getting better than it was in the previous minutes. The only ones who didn’t notice were any of the Faunus currently present. Humans were a little disoriented; they were not getting yeeted into the forest with no visual aids.

“That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years.” Wow, way to crush people’s hopes and dreams there, Ozpin. “After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will  **die** .” That sent a shiver up each and everyone’s spines, except Beowulf who was standing there with an indifferent yet excited expression.

“Right now, team  _ CFVY _ is handing out flares and a flare gun. Orange will be the color of the flares to distinguish between it and the forest. The reason being is if you come across the corpse of one of your classmates, you are to shoot up a flare to allow us to mark the location. You will be given five flares each,” Glynda said, not noticing the looks of horror on everyone's faces. “You can take flares from the bodies, in case, but do not use them willy nilly, or there will be consequences, am I clear?” The dominatrix was showing and made a few children flinch.

The teammates of  _ CFVY _ , which no one got a long look at, had just finished handing out the flares and subsequently, the students strapped them to their persons. With a nod to Ozpin, he continued, “You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the northern portion of the forest containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to a specified drop zone at the southern end of the Forest. From there, a dropship will arrive and transport you back to Beacon. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?”

A blonde boy to Grace’s left asked, “So how are we getting down there safely? Did you hand out parachutes or something?”

“No, you will be falling and you must use your own landing strategy,” Ozpin said, taking a sip of his mug. 

Grace spoke, desperately trying to keep the small shake out of her voice, “I’d be more worried about getting down before you ask another question.” At that moment, she heard her platform click. She flinched but braced herself.

Nick heard his and Ray’s platforms click into place. The view was beautiful, seeing the tops of the Emerald forest. The forest looked quite peaceful from up here, and the current view made it look even more so, but everyone present knew that danger lurked within. The slight fog that littered the treetops made the eeriness feel much more palpable. They shared a look and nodded, hoping it would go to plan. The four of them  _ will _ be together as a team. They’ve already learned each other styles and move sets, and they learned a lot in the off-time from their Signal graduation. So, it would be horrible if they did not get teamed together.

Still, the thought was finally settling on all of the students present,  _ they were about to be launched into a Grimm-infested forest with no backup other than themselves.  _ The moment would be preserved into history in their minds, everyone realized that  _ this _ was the first step towards their ultimate goal.

One second more, no one moved, it was dead silent, save for the wind, “Good luck, all of you,” Ozpin said. Glynda had pressed a button on her tablet in front of her. Other students flinched. Another second, silence reigned supreme.

The next second, the first students were flying through the air. Beacon’s annual initiation had begun.

* * *

Four students walked up behind Ozpin and Goodwitch. The last students of this batch were just launched into the forest. Now it came down to the true test of survival.

“So how many of them do you think will survive?” A Fox Faunus asked. Initiation was always a gruesome day for her, knowing that some of the students launched will not be coming back.

“Probably five or six teams at least in this batch of students,” The tallest boy said with a slight chuckle in his voice. He seemed to be the one who had a more…  _ carefree _ attitude.

“How many students this year?” The Fox asked.

“437,” Professor Goodwitch stated. “Definitely odd, no pun intended.”

The other male looked at both of them then looked back at Ozpin. “You called for us Ozpin?” One of them asked.

Ozpin turned to the team. “Team  _ PLTN _ , I would like you to recover any and all the bodies of any students that are killed during this trial. Team  _ CFVY _ will also assist, along with a lot of the upperclassmen, the ones who can stomach it, anyway.”

“What if there isn’t anything left or if it’s extremely messy?” The leader asked.

“Then notify one of the staff with a red flare and they will take care of it,” Ozpin rescinded immediately, admittedly distracted. He was curious about two specific students in general. One felt different than the other, but that would be a question for another time.

“Understood, Professor.”

It was quiet until it looked like one of the students was coming back to the launch site… _ This is certainly interesting, _ Ozpin thought to himself.

* * *

People flew off the pads with screams, laughs, silence, and a howl. Some were excited, others terrified about being flung into a forest full of carnivorous Grimm that don’t give a shit who you are. They just want to kill.

Once the platforms locked, Nick and Ray shared one final look before the sounds of screams could be heard. Hopefully, they were out of surprise and not fear. One second, Nick launched slightly to the left, the next second, Ray launched slightly to the right. It could have been worse, they could have been launched in the completely opposite direction at a wider birth. Ray used his semblance to appear close to Nick, shifting his momentum to match the Faunus.

The feeling of being airborne was one that can be repeated as many times as one desired and it would still never get old. That was how the four of them felt, free, and eager to prove they have what it takes.

Without making eye contact, Ray and Nick grabbed one another’s hands, twisted one-eighty, lined up their feet, and springboarded away from each other with all the force they could muster. That all took place within two seconds, and since they never looked at each other in the eye, they were not partners. Never was it defined when the partner rule took effect, sure “the first person you make eye contact with” is what he said, but it was either as soon as you launched or as soon as you hit the ground; even if Professor Ozpin said it was when they landed, the boys didn’t want to take the chance. Upon them springboarding away from each other, Nick said to himself, “I cannot believe that actually worked!”

Once that happened, Nick turned and spotted Tera flying through the air. His eyes followed where she was going to land and while he couldn’t control gravity, he could use something else. Unfolding  _ Leech Cyclone _ , he fired them both off in the air to persuade his momentum towards the Mistralian’s location. He managed to get one glimpse at Tera to make eye contact. He brought the claws back to him before turning and using his semblance to ‘slow’ his descent and swung off a tree. The landing was smooth, save for the mud he slid on, to which he dusted himself off with a grin.  _ Now to find Tera. _

Tera, whilst flying through the air, had glanced over her shoulder to see the maneuver and raised her eyebrows in surprise before Nick made eye contact with her before she disappeared into the trees. Priming her aura, she looped around the first tree branch that she could reach. The tree she affected reacted immediately and provided a pseudo-ramp for her to slide down and leap off of when she was close to the ground. Landing with a roll, she stood up and beckoned the tree she affected to put her higher in the branches. They did so without complaint.  _ You are so in for it, Nick. _

Grace repeated the plan over and over in her mind, even using Truesight to check for any lingering Grimm. The ground was up and coming, but the dense forest provided one thing: Natural Parkour. The slate-haired girl grinned as her feet tapped off one tree, then the next, and the next until she landed on the ground. Once she did that, she found a tall tree, climbed it avoiding some mud piles that were littered about, and sat in the branches. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift.  _ And now we play the waiting game, Ray. _

Ray, however, went backward as a result of his and Nick’s maneuver. That was the plan, after all, the goal was to push Ray over to where the ‘A’s were and then use the launchpad to send him towards Grace. Before Ray hit the Academy’s side, he teleported just above the ground as his feet slid across the ground. The grass did not survive, a shame, really. Not minding the dirt on his pants, he stood up from his slide, dusted his hands off, and turned to look at the spectators. Casually waving as he dashed past them, stopping on what looked to be the oldest looking launchpad. With a glance out into the forest—kneeling down—he looked for Grace’s aura.

The four of them had a plan, they were to pulse their aura subtly, at least enough to notice each other. Next, was to close your eyes and calm your mind. You can’t be partnered if you never make eye contact with another.  _ There you are. _ Ray’s eyes opened as he felt Grace’s aura, and he picked the precise launchpad that Grace had been flung off of. She left an aura trail, easy enough for anyone with eyes to follow.  _ The joys of reading up on tracking techniques. _

He looked over to Professor Ozpin, shot him a cheeky grin before standing up and stomping on the pad. ‘No rules were given on this, Professor. Nothing against me doing a hard-reset.’ With that stomp, the pad was primed once more, the  _ click _ signifying that he was bound to be airborne in just a few short moments. Tai told him a secret about these pads since they looked to be the same when he was there,  _ “Stomp on them to prime them again, if they haven’t changed them in the past few years, then it should work.” _

“Interesting,” Ozpin said, slightly surprised, but kept under an impassive mask. “I do hope you know what you are doing.”

‘Of course, I am. You really thought I was going to be separated from my friends because of the alphabet? Respectfully, fat chance, Professor,’ Ray signed with nonchalance.

With a grin and two-fingered salute to the spectators, he was off once more, towards his future partner. The six people that remained all had different expressions. One was in shock, one was impressed, one was indifferent, and one just didn’t care. Surely, the difference could be made, but their personalities reflected their faces perfectly. The Professors, on the other hand, were having a very different conversation. “Is that even allowed?”

“It’s true that I never said anything against it. I only told them to do whatever it takes to survive. However, I did not expect that turn of events,” Ozpin took a sip of his mug. A moment of silence before he spoke again, this time with affirmation in his tone, “His Semblance matches.”

“Indeed it does, and to make matters interesting, those two students did not make eye contact while conducting that display of acrobatics. So, they are not partners,” Professor Goodwitch said. Her tone betrayed nothing, but the Headmistress certainly approved of the strategy. However, it must have been the simple factor of luck. “They have not been heard from in…”

Ozpin side-eyed the team next to him, cutting the Assistant Headmistress off, “Team  _ PLTN _ , your thoughts on what just transpired?” It was always good to get a second opinion on the matter.

The leader stepped forward and stood next to Ozpin, “Judging on what we just witnessed my best guess is those two are probably trying to form partnerships with two others; although, I can’t determine who those might be.” He said as he looked at Ozpin with his arms crossed.

A nod, “You would be correct in your assumption. The four you are referring to are the top four students of the most recent graduating class of Signal Academy.” Ozpin looked at the leader, “Their transcripts were near perfect, above-average combat records, and higher survival ratings than the rest of the current class applying, save for a few exceptions. Them living with a former student of mine, one of the greatest teams to graduate from my academy, mind you. Furthermore, I cannot compare them to you four as you are in different leagues.”

“You were already hoping this would happen.” Professor Goodwitch said this as a statement, not as a question.

“As I said to both of them when we met, I saw potential in him,” Ozpin replied, glancing back at Glynda. “Now we simply let the pieces fall where they may.”

The young leader looked at Ozpin then back at his shortest teammate. “If you don’t mind me asking Professor, were their transcripts as high as my teammates?”

“Different leagues, Mr. Odesin. While they have not experienced what you four have, they certainly fare better than some of the applicants this year.” Another sip of his mug. “Glynda? Bring up Miss Rowe’s file.”

The name resonated with all of  _ PLTN _ , “Wait, they had a daughter?” The Faunus girl said as her ear perked up at the news, tail at attention.

“Yes, they had a daughter, one they hid from the world. Miss Schnee had met her once at least according to her elder sister. When she came to Vale with Miss Briggs’ family, her biological family had killed her, saying it was poison,” Glynda said with well-hidden disdain for Tera’s family. While the Headmistress does not have a family to speak of, she knows it most likely affected her upbringing. Maybe Beacon’s psychiatrist could help figure out how much she was affected by it.

The young leader swiped the pad from Glynda, which was opened on the Mistralian’s file. Sure enough, the fake death certificate was there, along with her adoption papers confirming that she was ‘related’ to the Briggs family. In other tabs, there were her transcripts, showing she was Valedictorian of her class with notes of the other three not being far behind.

“But it appears that… well, I’m not entirely sure now. What are they trying to do by claiming that she is dead and killed that way? I haven’t met the Briggs family in person, but my mother says they are very pleasant people,” The leader said as he scratched his chin.

“Perhaps she was special like our little one is and they don’t want anyone to know she’s out and about or alive,” The eldest member replied as the leader passed him the tablet.

“That is a possibility maybe I’ll ask her later on when I get the chance.” 

Ozpin spoke, breaking their chain of thought, “That may not be the wisest decision. She will find it… disturbing if you confront her with knowledge not widely known. While the death certificate was swept under the rug from the press, the fact remained that the Rowe family had a daughter. Most media outlets chalked it up as a second son or an adopted child, the possibility of them having a daughter did not exist.”

“That is a fair point Professor, from what I can gather it’s just how our little one doesn’t technically exist. My question now is does she know of this? Hopefully, she doesn’t. I feel that could get extremely messy and emotional real quickly.”

“If indeed Miss Rowe is aware of it, she has more than likely shared it with those close to her, which is why I expect the four of them to form a team,” the Headmaster said with confidence, and he could put his money where his mouth is.

No one spoke after that, letting the information be absorbed in various manners.

* * *

_ Start song: Jungle- X Ambassadors, Jamie N Commons _

With a Howl, Beowulf is launched into the air. He can feel the fear pouring off some of the other students, neither he nor Wulf cares. This is a hunt, kill or be killed, when you get thrown into the ring with a beast sometimes it pays to be the bigger monster. As he flies through the air he decides that it is best that the Grimm know that there is a real threat in this forest now. Tearing into the forest floor with a loud crash as he lands, throwing mud into the air, he rolls to all four, takes a deep breath, and raises his head to the sky, roaring out a challenge to anything that wants to kill. Pausing, for a moment he hears nothing. Then, there is a collection of howls in response,  **_‘A pack of Beowolves. Good, something to sink our fangs into…’_ ** The statement curtails with a snarl which Beo knows as excitement,  _ ‘Judging by the sound, they are only a mile away. What do you think? Should we help the students or hunt?’  _

There is a low growl acknowledging the question almost as to say, ‘what do you think?’ Beowulf lets out a wolfish laugh, reaching for  _ Nightfall  _ he pulls it from his back and with the cobalt bleeding into his eyes, silently takes off into a sprint towards the pack of Grimm. Passing by fog concealed corpses scattered throughout the trees, he takes note of where they are and continues on his way. Stopping when he hears and feels the multitude of paws slamming into the ground, he climbs the nearest tree and waits for the pack of creatures to draw closer. In but a handful of minutes the canid Grimm are prowling below him unaware of how close their enemy is to them. A smile graces his face noticing that they were just far enough away from each other that he could use his claymore with ease. Holding said claymore out at an angle he reflects the early morning sun off of its edge blinding one of the Beowolves below, with a startled yelp the canine Grimm shakes its head. Dropping from the tree branch he was perched upon, Beowulf plunges the blade mercilessly into its head, killing it instantaneously. Rolling off of the now-dead Grimm he pulls the blade free, the other Grimm backing away from the dead body. 

He can feel his blood boiling at the thought of an all-out fight with this pack of creatures, and he reveled in it.  _ ‘So, you want first blood?’  _ There is laughter in his head as he looks around at the Grimm snarling at him,  **_‘First blood? You already killed the first one, I’ll get the last 3. These two pups are your kills.’_ ** There is a grin that spreads across his face as the two Grimm in front of him charge. Meeting the one on the right with his claymore, he slashes into its chest ripping out its lungs and spraying the ground with blood, as the creature gurgles out his last breath, he turns towards the other Beowulf. It is clear that the Grimm knew he was a threat, it took two steps back, not that it matters. With two loud thunderclaps, the Beowolf’s skull and chest are blown open by two 500 S&R Magnum rounds. Holding the high caliber guns up high before twirling and holstering them, Beo lets out a snarl, challenging the others in a manner that is older and more instinctual than anything that humans ever use. All the remaining Grimm step up to the challenge and lunge. There is a collision of fur and claw, with a monstrous howl all 3 grim are thrown away.

**“You three runts really think you can kill me?”** The biggest of the three Grimm look at Wulf with a befuddled face, not understanding how an alpha Beowolf appears where there was once prey. The other two Grimm move closer not trusting their eyes nor noses, **“Nevermind, you are just easy prey.”** Wulf grabs the closest wolf by the head and pulls it to the ground. With the first of the three on the ground, he crushes its neck under his paw and moves to the other close wolf. Said wolf tries to claw and bite at Wulf landing a couple of deep cuts before Wulf slams his head into it sending it stumbling back, stunned from the blow, its guard is down, allowing Wulf to knock it to the ground with a lowered shoulder and jump onto its chest and tears out its throat with his serrated teeth sending chunks of flesh airborne. As the black blood sprays from the open wound all over Wulf he turns to the last Grimm. Only to see it turn tail and run, Pulling out both _Calm_ and _Rage_ he locks them together at grips as the slides unfold to form the bow mode of his weapon he calls _Tranquillity_. Reaching for the quiver strapped to his back, he pulls a black-bodied Steel Broad-headed arrow out and notches it on the string, taking a breath the nine-foot wolf draws back the bow, 250+ pounds of draw strength behind the arrow he lets it fly. The arrow flies fast, straight, and true, striking the fleeing Grimm’s skull and killing it almost instantly from 80+ yards away.

_ End song _

‘ _Nice shot.’_ Wulf snorts in reply to Beo’s compliment, shaking the dissolving black blood free of fur he walks towards the downed runner, _‘Now what do we want to do?’_ Asks Beo from his mental backset, Wulf shrugs as he pulls the broadhead arrow from the lifeless corpse. He answers out loud knowing no one is around, **“I do not really know, we pasted those bodies. Should we scavenge their flares? Hell while we are at it we could signal where they are.”** There is a long pause, Beo considering what to do, as the now lifeless Grimm disintegrates leaving nothing behind, Beo makes his decision, _‘Go ahead and give me back control. I will take care of the bodies, we do not need any tracker types making what will be a long day even more stressful.’_ Wulf nods his head agreeing as they change back to the 5’4’’ faunus and Beo takes control.

* * *

Ray flew through the air with a smile that rivaled the sun. He’s been waiting for nine years for this moment and now it was finally upon him. He was going to make the most of it. The best part of taking Grace’s launchpad was that it set Ray on the right path to land. Once he was close to the ground, Ray teleported and halted his momentum. The one great thing about his semblance, he can either preserve or halt his momentum. So, he could fall off a cliff, teleport just before he hit the ground, and be just fine.

By the time he landed, he noticed a flare go off.  _ So soon too. _ Ray’s thoughts would go to a dark place if he continued. That line of thought of  _ what if it was… _ was dangerous, and most likely negative. The fog was slowly starting to clear, but the light of day was slowly encroaching the forest. 

Now that he was in the forest, he had to search for Grace. She had to be close by. Ray was going to make a beeline for where she should be until he heard a blood-curdling scream. He wanted to run away, but he would never forgive himself if he did.

So, against his better judgment, he ran towards the scream and burst through the bushes. Ray’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. The scene in front of him was gruesome. A Beowolf was devouring a student’s leg. He was struggling, but blood covered their chest and hands. Their weapon remained out of reach.

Another scream escaped their lips which spurred Ray into action. Both pistols of  _ Fury’s Ambush  _ sprung from his wrists and he primed a round into each chamber. Once the click was heard, the Beowolf stopped and turned, the blood dripping from its maw. Ray’s eyes narrowed and he pulled the trigger. The rounds collided with the Beowulf, one through the head and one in the heart. At least, it was in the spot where it would have a heart. The pellets added in more potential damage.

Reloading the chambers, he kept an eye out for more. When there was one Beowolf, the pack wasn’t far behind. Pulling one of the pistols back, he got down on one knee, a position to easily attack from. When Ray checked their pulse, they were already gone. The shock and blood loss was enough to kill them. Their leg was mangled beyond saving, there was a series of tears in their outfit, meaning the Beowolf got a few swipes in, drawing blood. Some of them looked deep, and the blood was still draining, making a puddle around them. Even with an aura, this assault was brutal. The worst part was, their eyes were still open, mouth agape, construed in horror.

Something dropped on his pants and it took a second to realize his eyes were watering. Rubbing them away, he took a deep calming breath. Losing his cool could mean his demise too. Closing their eyes and mouth, Ray gave them a sign of peace—closing their eyes and mouth— before prepping a flare. Meanwhile, he scavenged the extra flares and put them in his flare pouch. He put his hand on the ground before remembering it was covered in blood. He wiped it on a patch of fresh grass, but that didn’t stop him from putting his hand on his other forearm. He was too slow.

Pushing away those emotions, for now, Ray put away the second half of his weapon to put out his flare gun and loaded the flare, the one he left out. Not looking up after loading the gun, he fired the orange flare straight up. The flare dusted off into the sky and faded after a few seconds. 

More growls surrounded him and Ray sprung up and instantly put  _ Fury’s Ambush _ together, round primed. Out of the trees and bushes came a half dozen Beowolves.  _ So here’s the rest of the pack.  _

Seeing that fighting them all at this range was a bad idea; so, Ray fired on the first one he could see and racked the lever. The Beowolves chose at this moment to leap at him, claws extended, ready to tear his aura—then his flesh—apart. With quick thinking, Ray teleported back to the way he came from and pulsed his aura. Hopefully, someone was close, or maybe even Grace.

The Beowolves leaped towards Ray once more, but he was already moving. He could hear the snarls, growls, and he could feel the  _ bloodlust _ radiating from them. Ray had to keep moving. He didn’t want to end up on that list.

As Ray turned to fire on the closest Beowolf, it was speared with an arrow. “It took you long enough!”  _ Grace. _

Ray jumped into a tree and then used his momentum to fling himself higher. Once he was high enough, around twelve feet off the ground, he rested on a thick branch, breathing heavily, but his eyes spoke more than ever.

“Ray, look at me,” Grace said from the opposite tree he was in, the Beowolves below were just another sound. “Are you injured?” A headshake. “Then why do you have blood on you?” Ray looked away from the charcoal eyes of his friend. “Someone’s dead, aren’t they?” Her voice shook but did not break.

Ray did not respond, but instead turned to the Beowolves below, aimed down the sights of  _ Ambush _ , and fired three more rounds, killing four Beowolves because of the pellet spread. Grace readied  _ Deliverance _ and fired a few bursts of her rifle feature, tearing the Beowolves’ skin and killing the rest. Once those were dispatched, he reloaded  _ Ambush _ with impressive efficiency, and knocked on the bark of the tree, ‘{Yeah, and I could not save them. They were gone before I got there.}’

“I see,” she whispered. “You know, I got worried that one of those flares was you,” she said in a normal voice.

Putting  _ Ambush _ on his back holster, he signed, ‘I had the same worry. At least we’re partners. I hope Nick and Tera are alright.’

Grace scoffed, moving a few loose strands of hair out of her face, “Knowing them, they are probably arguing about who saw who first.”

‘Or Nick pranked Tera… again,’ Ray suggested which elicited a giggle from Grace. The lighter mood made Ray feel at ease.

“We should move out before more Grimm show up, sound like a plan, partner?” the slate-haired girl asked before slipping out of the tree and landing with her namesake.

Tapping the tree, ‘{Sure thing, partner.}’ He put both hands on his current branch, and threw himself off the tree, swinging in the process to land with a roll. He dusted himself off and threw his right arm over Grace’s shoulder. Still, he cast a glance back to where he ran from, and a pang of guilt spawned in his heart.

Not noticing Ray’s inner turmoil, she rolled her eyes as she muttered,  _ “Esibire.” _

* * *

Nick was slipping through the trees like butter, easily leaping, jumping, dodging over every obstacle. He  _ really _ underestimated the sheer size of the forest, so time was of the essence. The Cobra Faunus flicked his tongue out, attempting to get any scent on Tera.

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was looking for Tera’s aura, and the funny part, it was all around him. Since her Semblance is plant-based, it makes tracking her difficult.

Well, it would have been once Nick felt a vine wrap around his leg, “I was waiting for you Scales.” The voice was higher up and distinctly teasing only in the tone she saves for him.

Nick chuckled, “Well, I had to make sssure I found you first.” The Cobra looked up to see Tera perched in a tree, her weapon case rested across her lap with hints of a smirk. “So, I guess we’re partners now?”

“I suppose it does, now we just got to hope against hope that Ray and Grace met up. Also,” she said having one of the trees gingerly put her down on the ground so she didn’t have to shout or raise her voice, “what move did you guys pull off?”

Nick smirked, “That is quite simple. We didn’t know when the ‘partner eye contact’ rule applied, so we assumed it would be instantly, even if Professor Ozpin said differently. As for the movement, we just guessssed and hoped it worked. We came up with it this morning, but we needed a chance for all of us partnering up. Knowing all three of our last names are close by, Grace was stuck with the short end of the stick.”

They watched as two different pairs of students ran by them, heading directly east. They didn’t stop to talk and it looked like they were on a mission. A wave of acknowledgment was passed between them, but nothing else.

Tera walked by him and gestured for them to move. She pushed a few loose strands of hair out of her face. Might as well keep moving, so she took off in a light jog. She heard Nick’s boots crunching behind her, “So what happened to Ray?”

Nick slid right by her, “He probably went back to Beacon and used a different launchpad, most likely Grace’s. We did spend our break learning about trailing and tracking techniques. So if everything went well, then those two are partners.”

“What about the flares?” Tera asked, but that wasn’t the question she was really asking.  _ What if one of those flares is Ray or Grace? _

“Then I would be upset, but we would move on,” Nick said firmly, almost unremorseful. He knew it was not the answer she was looking for, but it was the one he had. Seeing Tera’s scowl and hurt face he clarified, “We can’t think like that out here. Jussst trussst that we will make it out, okay?”

Tera nodded, the scowl gone, but some of the hurt lingered. Neither one spoke as they were focused on watching each other’s backs. However, that stopped once they came across a giant crater that extended far into the trees, but left a bunch of them tipped over. “What the…?”

“...Hell happened here and why wasn’t I here to see it happen?!” Nick exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the carnage.

“Why didn’t we know about it? Surely this would have made the news!” Tera exclaimed.

Nick shrugged, focusing on the task at hand, “Now, we can either go around it or through it. One takes longer, but it’s safer, and the other is shorter but dangerous.”

Tera wanted to see something, “Through it, I wanna know how far this goes. Plus, it will give a clear path.” She pointed straight ahead, “I think there is something past the trees, but can you see anything?”

Nick narrowed his eyes and focused on where the Mistrali pointed, “Maybe a small clearing, but it's  _ really _ far away.”

Tera leaped into the crater, sliding down the side, “Come on Nick, we have places to be!”

“I swear, you’re the one who’s going to get me in trouble one of these days,” he mumbled before following after his partner.

  
  


Back at the cliffside, the fox girl spoke up, “Ooh brother, looks like these two students found the  _ hole  _ you left behind.” The tallest male of the group walked over to the fox and looked over her shoulder at the datapad.

“So they have, yet again, it’s not hard to miss.” The boy chuckled, “Just imagine the look on their faces if they figured out I did that.”

“Gee, dearest brother, I couldn’t imagine… but that is a hilarious image.”

* * *

Nick followed Tera down the crater before stopping where the center of it was. “What do you think caused this?”

“I don’t know, I’m not a geologist or an architect,” Nick commented.

“An architect wouldn’t even fit for this!” Tera quipped. She looked over her shoulder and back again. “Still, this crater is massive, and almost a football field wide on both dimensions. I would guess about seven stories at its lowest point.”

“All that from a glance?” Nick asked, looking ahead at the top of the crater. Tera gave off a noncommittal hum and grunted as her foot slipped out from under her. Nick easily stabilized her, “Easssy there, Ssslick.”

“Thanks, but yeah, it is about that big, even in Mistral my—the people I lived with— had an inkling to watch such things. Made me remember the dimensions based on a look.” Tera puffed her cheeks in embarrassment. Nick snickered, realizing the true extent of the information given, before rushing up the side with the swiftness of a cobra, no racism intended, up the side before flicking his tongue out and received sour tastes in return. The smell of blood reached his senses and he grimaced.

He shook his head before turning around, extending a hand down to the Mistrali girl. “We need to move.”

Hearing this brought Tera’s senses on alert, her free hand hovering close to  _ Nature’s Harmony _ . The two of them heard a tree branch snap and instantly both of their weapons were out.

Out of the treeline came two Ursa, and they were quite upset that people encroached on their territories. They roared and charged side by side at Nick and Tera. Their maws were covered in blood and chunks of flesh stuck between their teeth. Tera noticed this and paled, but Nick was much more focused.

With quick thinking, Nick pushed the Mistralian out of the way and dove in the opposite direction. Tera reacted accordingly and righted herself and took a deep breath, aiming for the right Ursa, attempting to get the image out of her head. With a quick melody, she sent a pulse of Dust toward it and it impacted the Ursa’s chest.

Nick brandished his claws before using his Semblance to make his attack faster. His overbearing arc turned into a downward slash against the left Ursa’s fur-like appearance. It roared and stood on its hind legs, glaring down with its soulless blood-red eyes. It raised its front paws up, a forewarning of what was to come, but Nick was quicker than that. Switching his focus, he shifted his Semblance to the Ursa, and now it was attacking super slow. However, if it touched him… the floor did not seem as soft as it looked. So, Nick took the opportunity to slash all over the Ursa’s body. The blood leaked from the Grimm and all of the wounds from it were taking their toll. “You good over there, Tera?”

The sound of the saxophone blaring a new beat into the Ursa’s chest and making it soar into a tree answered his question. Tera took a deep breath, “Remind me to add a retractable blade to this, it would be helpful to stab a Grimm when they are in range.” She looked down to see a tear in her pants, “Well, that’s unfortunate.” She checked to make sure that there were no other injures before focusing on her target again.

“Noted,” Nick said the Ursa that was still standing swiped at Nick. He moved, but not fast enough to avoid the claw. One of the nails scraped against his arm and spiked his aura. Nick backed up whilst putting together his SMG. The transformation was near flawless as Nick reached into his short pocket and inserted a magazine before opening fire in short bursts.

Tera eyed the Ursa that she stunned, making sure that it was not coming in for a surprise attack, before reaching towards the nearest tree and using her Semblance. The tree she chose pulsed before it started to uproot itself. With a mental command, she sent it towards the knocked out Grimm to finish it off. She forced more aura into it to give it a little bit of extra time.

Bringing  _ Harmony’s _ mouthpiece to her lips, she played a small section of  _ 4 on the Floor  _ by  _ Gerald Albright _ to send out a sharpened Dust attack. The attack hit its intended target which brought along an opening that Nick quickly exploited. He deconstructed his SMG and brought out the claws and launched himself at the Grimm, aiming for the throat.

The claw easily slid across the Grimm’s throat and the two children stood next to each other. A resounding crunch startled both of them as the tree that Tera had awakened snapped the Ursa’s neck before it calmly rerooted itself back into its original place. “Didn’t know it could do that.”

Tera seemed just as surprised, “Neither did I.” She looked to Nick, “Come on, we should keep moving.”

Nick ran on ahead of Tera, his eyes scanning the surrounding area, making sure there were no other Grimm in the immediate area. Once Tera caught up, the two of them burst through the open field where a stone structure laid. By that stone structure, there were six people. Four of them recognizable, two that were not, but that sent a spike of fear into both Nick and Tera’s stomachs.

The two of them locked eyes as they both had the same dreadful thought. “You don’t think...?”

“We cannot afford to think like that, Tera. Come on, let’s meet up with everyone,” Nick said resolutely. Once he was in a decent range, he shouted, “Yang!”

The blonde’s eyes locked with his and a relief-filled smile coated her face. Blake was next to Yang, and she regarded the situation with suspicion. “You guys are okay!” she wrapped her arms around Nick. “Thank Dust!” she exclaimed before wrapping Tera in a hug as well.

Nick scoffed, “Of course we are.”

“Where’s Ray? Grace?” the brawler asked and that’s the question he was dreading. That meant she hasn’t seen them either. Yang interpreted the looks on their face as bad news. Her grip returned and tightened on Nick’s shoulders, “Where is he?”

“We… haven’t seen him,” Tera answered. Her eyes drifted to Weiss who was lingering behind Yang. Then, she spotted Ruby, relieved that she was here. However, the crimsonette’s eyes were asking the same question.

“That couldn’t mean…” Yang looked angry, her eyes changed as a result. “No, he’s not…” Yang couldn’t bring herself to say the words, because that would mean he really is…  _ dead _ .  _ No way, not Ray. Not here, not when it was his dream. Oh Dust, what about Ruby?! _ Ruby looks up to Ray a lot, more than she thinks she does.

“You think like that, Yang, and imma hit you. Ray is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and Grace is the same. They’ll watch each others’ backs.”

Without warning, Blake sharply turned to the treeline to her right. A stick snapped and that meant someone or  _ something _ was coming. Her hand reached for her weapon. Nick took notice and flicked his tongue out, and he felt relief. “No way.”

From the treeline, both Grace and Ray appeared, both looking worse for wear. Nick could smell and see the blood that stained his vest, but thankfully, the color blended in. A subtle color change on his hands could be seen. Grace just looked exhausted, some minor scrapes on her outfit, her hair still somewhat in her braid. Her eyes were observant though, checking the surroundings; which compared to Ray’s, he had a thinking face on.

Tera broke away and launched at Grace, “Thank Dust, you’re alright! When no one saw you we…”

Grace put a finger over Tera’s lips, silencing her, “We’re fine, just a little shaken. We saw something pretty… far out.”

“What could possibly be considered ‘far out’ in Remnant?” Tera mumbled as Grace’s finger was still over her lips. The temptation to just open her mouth and- 

Tera berated herself for that line of thought. Ray finally snapped to attention, ‘You would not believe us if we told you.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Valen (Italian) Translations
> 
> Esibire = Showoff


	16. "What are you, my Savior?" Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part II of initiation and we have some things in store, more questions raised and...
> 
> "Ruby, that is not a puppy!"
> 
> Enjoy.

Both Ray and Grace continued to travel through a dense section of the Emerald Forest, being cautious all the while. The fog that surrounded them slowly lifted as the day progressed. If Grace had to guess what time it was, she would say around half-past six, maybe seven? Visibility could be better, but it also could be worse. Ray was oddly quiet.

Scratch that, he was always quiet, but more so than usual. “Ray?” He inclined his head towards her but did not fully turn around to face her. “What did you see back there? I just notice that you still have blood on your hands and vest.”

Ray paused and looked down at his hands, feeling the very recent memory coming back. The lifeless eyes of that student… He violently shook his head before fully turning to address Grace, ‘We both received five flares, correct?’

The slate-haired girl paused, confused at the sudden off-topic question, before responding, “Five flares… why?” The skepticism coating her tone.

‘I have nine flares now, what does that say to you?’ Ray signed, waiting for the look of horror that _will_ appear on Grace’s face. The shorter girl took a moment… then two… before the answer became clear. The look of horror appeared one hand over her mouth, eyes wide. ‘Yeah, I witnessed… that and had to fire a flare. I hope I do not have to fire another,’ Ray’s eyes became serious.

“Well… I won’t make you, now which way should we go?” Grace inquired. Not the greatest change of subject, but Ray lets it go. To be honest, talking about the tree next to them would be far more interesting than the topic of death.

‘These branches have seen activity,’ Ray noted, a hint of skepticism laced in his tone. His posture also spoke more than he did. Grace had to agree, knowing that there was something amiss.

Something was stirring within Ray, as he felt a small headache coming on. He passed it off as exhaustion, probably the aftereffects of Mirage. Ray continued to lead them through the forest before the pair found... seemingly nothing? Ray didn’t know what it was, but the headache was subsiding now, but not disappearing. Whatever was around, it was close.

Just to check something, Grace activated Truesight and saw nothing in her vision that signified that any aura was used recently. Her eyes looked to Ray to see the pureness emitting from him. There was a part of Grace that wanted to keep him pure, as something in the world should be. Grace felt that if she told him that, he would immediately save it for Ruby, and that thought of him protecting his little sister made her smile. 

* * *

So far, Beowulf felt like his day was decent compared to some of these first timers he passed by. That is not to say that sending up the half dozen or so flares in the past hour was a good thing. The more he thinks about it the more he realizes that the deaths of these kids does not faze him in the slightest, in the _real_ world it's kill or be killed. You hesitate and a Grimm is liable to rip your throat out in a heartbeat. As he moves through the dense foliage fleeing a Deathstalker after grabbing one of the “artifacts”, his sensitive hearing picks up on a group of two, with his large form concealed by shadows and shrubbery he decides to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“I am telling you, we should just find this artifact and just go. We do not need to put our asses on the line for revenge.” This first male sounds a little bit squeaky to Beowulf, probably because his balls dropped a little late. There is a solid thunk as a blade of some sort is buried into a tree trunk, the second individual clearly angered as he speaks, “NO, I did not come all this way just to get an artifact and run away! We are going to find some Grimm and kill them! I will kill every last one I see.” That one sounds like he is all bark and no bite, easy to deal with if they find him.

 **_‘They are getting quite close, should we shift?’_ **Wulf’s question was a valid one to ask, He has kept his hybrid nature a secret as best as he can. Quick hit and run attacks to assist other teams, only showing his nature to people whose death took shortly after. It seems that fate has other ideas for him, however.

“I know you’re here! Come on out monster!” Well, there is the same insult again, _‘crazy bitch on her damn throne can they get some new derogatory names?’_

Deciding to shift, he moves out of the bush, not as a Grimm but as a faunus. The two young males have different reactions to his appearance. One is clearly disappointed, with a frown on his face; while the other looks a bit spooked, his eyes darting to and fro from behind his glasses. The broad-shouldered hunter-in-training who had the displeased frown on his face steps into Beowulf’s personal space with an arrogance that the hybrid had never seen before. Almost as if, the muscled kid thought he was better than the Faunus in front of him.

Beo has to bite back a snarl as Wulf pipes up, **_‘If this kid does not step back, he is going to learn how easy it is to turn a wall into a piece of bait.’_ ** _‘Agreed.’_ Reaching for the tanto at the small of his back underneath the coat, Beo prepares to incapacitate the incompetent brute in front of him.

Said brute opens his mouth and speaks in a very dismissive tone, “You seen any Grimm around here, mutt?” The other hunter immediately yells out, “What the hell man?! We might need his help!” Seeing the arrogant huntsman turn his back, the opportunistic survivor that is Beo decides to take him down a leg or two. 

Drawing his New tanto, Beo shreds both of the huntsman’s hamstring tendons dropping him to his knees, and quickly covers his mouth to muffle the screams as he puts him to the ground. Beo feels his neck change, courtesy of Wulf giving him the ability to speak for a handful of minutes, **“If you want to live to see another day outside of this forest, you both are going to not speak another word and listen carefully.”** There is a panicked nod from both huntsmen before Beo continues, **“There is a creature you humans call a Deathstalker pursuing me.”** Beo decides to tell a half-truth here, they didn’t need to know that this was a little bit of vindictive justice on his part, **“I sliced your friend’s hamstrings because I needed to give it something else to chase, so to speak. You do know they’re drawn to agony right?”**

The teen with the glasses nods his head rapidly, “Most certainly. What is your plan after it gets here?” Beo grins, knowing that he has only a little time left to speak, **“Kill it. What else?”**

* * *

Minutes past before the Deathstalker appears, Crashing through the tree-line, breaking down trees like dominos. Crawling around aggravated, the creature looks around before moving to a shattered tree stump where the wounded huntsman was hiding, Beowulf only heard a scream and then a crunch, **_‘Well, he’s dead.’_ ** _‘That was the plan,’_ Beo shoves the artifact into the scrawny Huntsman’s hands and pushes him away, ‘Go! Get the hell outta here!’ 

Surprising Beowulf, the teen asks, “What about you?!” 

He hears the clicking as the deathstalker turns towards them, ‘Worry about yourself. This is my hunt.’ Seeing the nervous huntsman sprint away Beo turns to the deathstalker and grins, _‘Well now it is just you and me Stinger, Your move.’_ Move it does, striking with lethal speed, Beowulf dodges by moving his shoulder back causing the stinger to whiff. Pulling out Rage he lets two rounds fly as the scorpion strikes with one of its claws. The overpowered rounds slam into the carapace cracking the claw’s shell as it clamps around Beowulf’s mid-section. Beo can feel the claws increasing pressure, **_‘Well, any bright ideas?’_ ** _‘Yeah, one.’_ Reaching down to his belt he holsters _Rage_ and grabs the loaded flare gun, aims at its eyes, and fires; simultaneously blinding it and freeing himself of its grip. Rolling away from the Grimm, Beo is not fast enough to avoid the stinger a second time. He can feel the poison bleeding into him, he didn’t survive this long to die to a female’s method of murder, **‘** **_My turn!’_ ** There is no refusal to change as calm thought and caution gave way to instinct and rage as Wulf pushes forward and the Grimm tears forward, the poison quickly expelled with the transformation. The Deathstalker strikes out with its other claw having regained its sight seemingly trying to take down this new threat. 

Wulf had enough of this crushing business, he wasn’t some remnant damn nut to crack open, time to crack this scorpion’s shell and tear its organs apart. As the claw comes close Wulf pushes both fingers apart keeping them from finding a spot in his ribs. As both Grimm struggle to gain the upper hand Beo and Wulf both feel an unhinged presence worm its way into his head. It was almost like they were in a very crowded club and everyone could not shut the hell up, _‘She will free you.’_ Chanted over and over again, neither Beo nor Wulf could hear their own thoughts, it was concerning at first then it just pissed them both off, **“Get. The. Fuck. Out of My Head!”** Roars Wulf with a snarl as he breaks the Deathsalker’s claw by tearing the movable finger free of the chela, removing one of the creature’s natural weapons, and breaking free of their grapple. The creature clicks rapidly in response to the pain but Wulf does not care what this Stinger felt, it wants to kill him and vice versa, Wulf sees it curl back its stinger preparing to strike again, this time Wulf wouldn’t give it the chance. Pulling _Nightfall_ from his back the monstrous Grimm bolts forward, the pointed stinger striking out to intercept. Without losing momentum or speed Wulf jumps over the strike and rotates his body to swing the claymore through the metasoma removing the threat of being poisoned. 

Landing behind the Deathstalker Wulf morphs _Nightfall_ to its scythe form only to be slammed through some trees by the said scorpion. Pulling himself free of the remnants of the tree that had stopped his violent change in speed, Wulf eyes the one clawed scorpion as it moves almost nervously as if it was considering running, _‘You think it is gonna run?’_ Asks Beo almost morbidly, Wulf lets out a growl, **_‘You ask as if I will give it the chance to run.’_ **The Deathstalker starts backing up trying to put some more space between it and the clearly stronger Grimm. Wulf closes the gap in 4 bounds cutting into its chelicerae as he gets in striking range; using the body of the scythe he knocks the defanged creature into the air, he bisects it horizontally ending the creature's life.

There is rustle in the treeline as two people emerge. One of them was in a thin jacket and form-fitting sweatpants, hair in a braid, but some of the strands were loose, making it look more like a messy ponytail. On her back resided a quiver, full of arrows, save for one or two. The other figure was in black pants, a black sleeveless vest, almost a faded yellow T-shirt, and combat boots. What adds to the mix is that their weapons were raised at the disturbance, to which they lowered their weapon and looked on in disbelief.

The girl turned to the boy, “Hey, Ray, are you al...right?” the girl seemed to be fixed on the same thing. The area they just entered looked like a minor war was fought. A _lot_ of the trees were slanted, broken, and all-around _missing_ from their spots. More disgustingly there were Deathstalker body parts and organs scattered about. 

Ray seemingly found a lone Grimm but made no moves to attack. However, he did not lower his weapon either. The girl was quicker and raised her weapon, but Ray was faster and pushed her weapon down. A shot still went off, and with Ray’s intervention, it missed its intended target: the lone Grimm who looked like it could tear the world in half given the chance.

‘This is not a normal Grimm, Grace,’ Ray signed to the girl, now named Grace.

“What, like an Alpha or an Ancient?” Grace asked, just a tad ignorant on this.

Ray looked back to the Grimm and then back to Grace, ‘I do not know, but what color eyes do Grimm usually have?’

“Blood red,” Grace answered. “Why are you asking me this?”

‘Because the eyes of this Grimm are blue, which if you had shot it, then I would have pulled us out of here,’ Ray signed. Unbeknownst to them, Beowulf was able to understand this conversation. ‘I have a hunch that this specific Grimm means _us_ no harm.’

Grace looked offended by that statement, “What? Ray, come on, you can’t be serious!” But Grace took a moment to step back and think about the last minute or so. Ray had a point, she realized. The Grimm made no moves to attack, even after Grace almost shot it. What was even more concerning that it seemed to be having an internal debate. The Grimm’s gaze was solely on Ray. Then, Grace remembered the Legend. She quickly stepped in front of him, pushing him back, “Ray it’s your eyes! Maybe that’s why it hasn’t attacked! The Legend had said that a single look could take down Grimm, and what are you?”

Wulf could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up, _‘The Legend? The hell is that?’_ Wulf remembers this teen, the silver-eyed male, **_‘Maybe, the Legend has to do with his eyes? I do not know.’_ ** Wulf feels Beo shrug, _‘Well as long as he does not try to attack us I am fine with leaving them alone.’_ The ashy gray-haired girl next to silver was easy on the eyes but a little too trigger happy for his liking. 

Ray paused and held his ground against his partner’s pushing and slowly had his own revelation, ‘Okay, but I do not mean this Grimm harm if it does not mean harm to us. It seems to be fighting for its own survival. I mean, just look at the carnage that was caused.’ Ray really took a second look and noticed a few odd slash marks in the trees. The silver-eyed boy knew what kinds of weapons can produce such marks. Those marks are comparable to Ruby’s _Crescent Rose_. Does this Grimm have capabilities not known to modern-day ones? Ray shook off the suggestion, but like come on, that’s as cool as it is terrifying!

Still, it doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t try and if it did, well, there were two options. Grace had to say one thing, “How much Lien do you want to bet that Professor Ozpin knows about this _and_ that he allowed it into the school?”

‘What makes you think I am going to oppose you? From the time I met him, he has always been cryptic and mysterious. It would not surprise me if he had a few secrets,’ Ray replied, still not taking his eyes off the Grimm, watching for subtle movements.

‘I believe it would be best if we left the area,’ Ray signed, not giving his partner a chance to retort as he dragged her away, all while keeping eye contact on it. Don’t want a surprise attack now do they?

* * *

“So that’s what happened? You saw a _friendly_ Grimm?” Yang asked, skeptical of what Grace and Ray just described.

“I wouldn’t say friendly, but it did not seem to have an interest in attacking us, even after I shot at it, but that fact that it tore up a Deathstalker with relative ease, in a violent manner and then let us go? Yeah, I’m just as skeptical and concerned,” Grace said with some hints of sarcasm.

“What are the chances Professor Ozpin knows about this?” Nick asked, having noticed the situation.

‘One hundred percent he knows, Grace and I are betting he knows. There is no other way that this would be allowed. I would be surprised if he knows a lot more than he lets on.’ Ray had his suspicions, and not to mention the killer headache he still had. Ray wanted to change the subject, ‘So which relic did you pick?’

Nick and Tera shared a look, “We haven’t actually picked one yet. We’ve been waiting for you.” The pair turned around to see… chess pieces? “Certainly an interesting choice for relics,” Tera remarked.

Nick reached out and grabbed a random chess piece, or the black rook, upon further inspection. The Cobra tossed it to the Mistralian who pocketed it. Grace noticed this and quickly grabbed the other one, placing it in a spare pocket. Now, she just had to hold onto it.

At that moment, a red blur leaped onto Ray and he stumbled back as a result, “I was so worried about you!” the words were muffled into his chest, but he looked down to see Ruby clutching to him.

‘{I am fine, but I need air,}’ Ray tapped against her head and she eased up. ‘I survived, just like you said.’

Ruby started sputtering, “D-Don’t scare me like that though. W-With all the flares, I-”

‘I am here now, Ruby. Relax,’ Ray assured his sister. ‘So, what’s the plan?’ The sun was finally coming over the horizon as the sound of a Giant Nevermore screeched. The group looked up to see the Nevermore circling the group. Then a Deathstalker broke from the far treeline with a certain champion ahead of it. Not to mention that a certain reptile was lurking in the thick brush. This caught Nick’s attention but he never let go of its presence. He would bring it up when he could.

“Well, you think you four can deal with the Nevermore?” Grace asked looking towards Ruby and Yang, which then included their partners. The siblings nodded and dashed off to scoop up their partners. Then, she turned to Ren and Nora, “Think you two could distract that Deathstalker off of Nikos?” In her defense, she could recognize the champion anywhere. She is not one of those fangirls though, but she couldn’t pass up the chance of meeting a renowned fighter.

“Yuppers! Come on, Ren!” Nora pulled the boy away, leaving a smoked outline of him in place. Definitely something you would see out of a cartoon.

“Those two are so…”

‘In love and oblivious?’ Ray chimed in as the slate-haired girl’s charcoal eyes landed on him.

“I was going to go with different, but that works too,” Grace agreed. She noticed Nick’s slightly skittish look, “What is it?”

“We’re being stalked,” Nick’s tongue flickered out, and his lime eyes sharpened. “I think there might be a-” he didn’t finish that sentence as something impacted his chest, sending him flying, bringing the three of them on alert.

“Nick!” the girls exclaimed, while Ray searched for the culprit. Turns out, it wasn’t very hard to find, considering the way it was slithering towards them.

Out of the trees came a King Taijitu and with it, the white and black snakeheads. They were bigger than any other Grimm of its class. Focusing on taking them down was their main concern, the second one was staying alive to do so. Ray looked to Grace to ask for direction. It makes sense for him to do so, as he would want someone to rally behind. “Ray, distract the white half. Tera, you and I will deal with the other half.” The silver-eyed boy nodded before teleporting out of sight and reappearing with _Ambush_ in hand.

Grace checked over the receiver on _Deliverance_ before nodding to herself. She grabbed an arrow out of her quiver and placed it in the crossbow’s primer. Tera, momentarily stunned by the sheer determination—and the firmness—in Grace’s voice, nodded without second-guessing, “Let’s do this.”

Nick, meanwhile, flew through the air and skidded across the grass, nothing major, but the grass was not at all soft. Thankfully, there were not a lot of trees in this very wide-open field. At this point, he’s lost sight of mostly everybody, except for Ray, Grace, and Tera. He needed to get back into the action. Standing up, brushing himself off, “That hurt, but I’m alive, aren’t I?” he asked himself rhetorically. Feeling for his aura, he was relieved to know that it wasn’t broken and it didn’t take much from him.

Readying _Cyclone_ , he slithered his way back to the battle to help out Ray who was dealing with half a Taijitu all by himself. It seemed like the most logical play.

* * *

Ray already knew snakes were slippery, but not to this extent. Tai had shown them what a Taijitu was, and how it could slip under one’s radar, but never to this extent. King Taijitus were not as common as one would think. There are only a few in each den, but this one had it out for the students. “Did you need an assist?” Nick asked as he leaped over Ray and slashed a claw into the skin of the white head.

The Grimm hissed in pain before attempting to knock off this nuisance. Nick slipped under the attack before heading back to Ray, ‘Combo three?’

“We can try, but have Two on standby,” the boys nodded in confirmation as the Taijitu in front of them wound back and was ready to spit venom. Ray brought _Ambush_ down to his pistol form for easier maneuverability. Mid-stride, he teleported to the side of the white snake’s head and fired four shots, each one piercing the Grimm’s head, but it only served to agitate the Grimm, whose tail whipped out from the side and tapped Ray, sending him back towards the girls.

As for the girls, they were having quite a hard time making the black snakehead stay still. Ray had flown right into the body, stunning the Grimm long enough for Grace to put an arrow through its eye, half-blinding it, “Thanks, Ray!”

He stumbled, half dizzy, waving off the thanks before looking over to see the very pissed off Grimm hissing at him. Its mouth wide open and descending upon him. Tera reacted, using her Dust in _Nature’s Harmony_ to send a wave of air Dust towards the silver-eyed boy. The shockwave of the Dust sent him towards the thicker brush and he only hit one trunk. His aura pulsing, meaning it was getting to the point of shattering, an unpleasant feeling from what he’s heard.

Tera somehow made it over to him, checking him over before putting her hands on multiple trees. Ray’s eyes shot to the trees as they uprooted themselves and the Mistrali sent them to fight the Grimm. Tera’s own aura shimmered as well, not to mention she stumbled at getting up. Ray caught her as he hastily stood up, catching himself in the process. ‘{Easy.}’

“Not now, we have to kill those Grimm and make it out, but I didn’t expect Taijitus to come out of nowhere,” Tera breathed out, one hand on her heart, feeling the blood pumping through her body. In an action that shocked herself, her hand ended up on Ray’s chest, where the heartbeat was calmer, far calmer than the situation should allow. “How the…?”

‘I never question it, but it is why I have more of a level-head in fights,’ Ray explained.

The sounds of branches creaking and breaking snapped both of them out of it, before they both emerged from the treeline to see the Taijitus curling around Tera’s trees before squeezing and snapping them into pieces. “You two, take out the black snakehead. Nick and I will go for the white snakehead!” Grace shouted over the splintering of the trees.

The shrapnel of the trees whizzed by all of them as they sprung into action. Ray and Tera went around the left to see the Deathstalker and Nevermore occupied with the rest of the group. Ray saw a sharpened stick that was broken off from the Taijitu’s constriction and had an idea. A crazy idea, but it should work if everything goes accordingly. Stowing his weapons back into the bracelets, he grabbed the shard of the tree and brought himself into the line of sight of the Taijitu, well the remaining sight of the snake. It hissed and spat more venom at him, to which Ray mostly dodged, save for a stray puddle of it landing on his arm, making his grip tighten on the stick and grit his teeth. Tera, all the while, was hitting the snakehead with piercing Dust attacks, each melody a quick _allegro_ of notes.

The snakehead lunged at the silver-eyed boy, its instincts telling it to take him down now. Its remaining eye turned ever-so-slightly towards the girl who was proving to be an annoyance to the Grimm before it moved so fast that it was all around Ray in an instant.

Before Ray could react, it was coiling around him, thankfully, his arms were free. The snakehead started closing the gap, slowly, to watch the light of his eyes fade out. However, Ray got one good look at the eye of the snake before teleporting up to the snake’s face and driving the splintered piece of wood into the socket. As a result, the snake was now blind. Before another tree came out of nowhere and slammed into the snake before it drove its branches through the snake’s neck.

Both Ray and Tera shared a look of relief that it was dead, and they shared a high-five before turning towards the other snakehead, which just launched Grace towards them. Ray teleported back to catch her, which all the while, she was screaming and flailing about. The slate-haired girl continued to fly through the air and Ray watched the Relic fall out of her pocket, but he was more focused on his partner falling.

Teleporting back another few dozen feet, his partner fell into his arms, and he fell backward, holding her close to protect her from the impact. A rogue tree root dragged across his arm and scrapped his aura. Ray felt most of the protection leave him, but it was not gone, it was merely on its last legs. “What are you, my Savior?” Grace exhaled quietly, voice hoarse from the screaming.

‘{Glad think me that way,}’ he tapped onto her back quickly, not caring about perfect sentences, the sentiment was enough. He quickly got up to reach for the Relic, but as he did, only white consumed his vision. His left arm was pinned to his side while his right was extended out, holding onto the Relic. Ray felt the air leave his lungs and out as a response, his grip slacked and he flicked out the available half of _Ambush_.

He couldn’t aim it properly with his vision swimming and blurring. For a moment, he thought he was going to die, and the worst part of it was how ready he was to accept it. He attempted to cast a look at his partner, to give a reassuring smile, but his aura cracked, making the pain he was feeling multiply. His mouth opened in a silent scream as he was on the verge of passing out. Breathing became difficult, and before the black could consume him, he heard his ribs protest the movement or lack thereof.

Nick sprang out of the trees, having watched the white snakehead dash to the trees and scoop up Ray. The shouts of the girls shouting his name meant they had to work fast, or else they would have to fire a flare. Even worse, they would have to face Yang _and_ Ruby. Two sides of the same coin, those two. None of them wanted to be the one to say it.

Grace pulled another arrow out of her quiver and pulled back the charging handle on _Deliverance_ , prepping the round and arrow for departure. “Hey ugly!” her throat protested the noise, but she’ll lose her voice if it means taking this thing down.

The Grimm’s eyes turned towards the sound and it was just what Grace needed before the arrow and bullets peppered the left eye, destroying half of its sight. Ray was once again dropped from its clutches and Nick slid underneath and caught him. The silver-eyed boy’s vision was swimming with a flurry of colors but they stuck to one thing, and that was Nick. “Stay with me, Ray, do not close your eyes,” the Faunus’ tone took a hard edge, one Ray rarely hears, so he took that advice to heart. Ray struggled to comply, but he had something else on his mind that kept him grounded.

“Tera, lean on a tree, and summon whatever Aura you have left and send the tree onto that snake,” Grace said, grimacing at the rawness of her throat. Once again, Tera was surprised at the edge of her voice, it sounded firm, the complete opposite of how she normally speaks. She turned to shout, “Nick, distract it long enough for us to get into position!”

“You got it!” Nick shouted back, having caught Ray, and moved off to the side.

Tera sucked in a big breath of air and leaned on a tree, one of the bigger ones in the area. She let out a _Vivace_ flurry of notes that forced the snake off balance. Nick gently set Ray down before combining _Cyclone_ into its SMG format. The Cobra was aiming for the eyes and while it did not score a direct hit, it weakened the Taijitu enough for Grace to score another arrow into the snake’s side, alongside a few bullets.

Grace repeated this and Tera let her summoned tree to hold down the snake, throwing all of its weight on its head and most of its body. “Nick, on me, you and I are about to splatter this Grimm!” 

However, neither of them got the chance to do it as another figure landed on top of the head and the sound of a shotgun split the air. Seven lever pulls, seven shells ejected, and one squeal of the King Taijitu giving its last breath before its form started to disappear. Tera’s aura faded as the tree returned to its normal spot, but not before it gently set her down so she didn’t fall over, which admittedly, Tera was very close to doing.

The three of them all looked to see Ray atop the fading Grimm with an uncharacteristic look on his face, pure rage. In this light, his eyes were a shining silver, but as soon as the Grimm faded, Ray clutched his head and put _Ambush_ on his back holster. The three of them all reached Ray at the same time before his aura fully dropped from his body and he slacked. They thought it cracked, but he might have just used some of his reserves to give him the edge he needed, which isn’t very good if repeated multiple times. Nick caught him first before Ray took a stabilizing step forward. “Are you good?”

Ray nodded, the best answer they were going to get, even if they did not believe him because he literally had his aura squeezed out of him. Not to mention his vision was slightly blurry. Nick noticed that his irises were quivering as if they were struggling to focus on him. Nick sent Ray a look that meant _I know more than what you’re saying_ , but Nick didn’t push it.

Hopefully, no one caught his eyes glowing on camera. If anything, Ozpin already knows about Ray, Ruby, and the eyes. Moreover, Grace didn’t fail to notice that he was cradling his left side more. Something cracked or something is out of place.

The four of them observed their battlefield and it certainly looked like one. Tree bark was everywhere and the indents of the tree’s footprints scattered about the open field. The venom from the Taijitus burned patches of grass, giving it an old wartime look. However, they watched a group of four kill the Deathstalker, and then something else happened.

“Is that Nevermore…” Grace started.

“...being pulled up the side of the cliff?” Nick continued.

“Holy…” Tera said, astounded. The four of them watched the Nevermore be decapitated, and something in Ray said that it was Ruby’s plan. Even with his vision blurred, he just knew it was her.

With a grin, he turned around and looked for the Relic he dropped and scooped it up, almost losing his balance in the process, and slotted it into one of his pockets before appearing right next to his friends. ‘We should probably meet up and get back to the landing zone.’

The four of them caught up to Nora, Ren, Jaune, and Pyrrha, to which the latter of the four noticed Ray’s condition. “Are you going to be alright?” her voice was caring and it carried genuine kindness.

Ray nodded before looking up the cliff to see rose petals floating away and he smiled big, proud of his little sister. He looked to the base of the cliff to see Yang, Blake, and Weiss celebrating their victory in their own ways. Again, with his vision blurred, that doesn’t mean he cannot see other details if he _really_ focuses.

Yang turned around to see all of them and without warning, leaped across the gap with assistance from _Ember Celica_. Her boots slid across the ground before they stopped in front of Ray, the concern written on her face. Ray smiled wide and reached out to her. She took the last step and hugged him, gently.

“So, what now?” Jaune asked, now that the major threats passed.

Well, that _was_ the last threat until they heard a growl and the oppressive feeling of a Grimm, this one much more primal than the rest. Ray’s headache came back in full force and it was close to knocking him out. The blur came from the group’s left side and all they saw was a streak that had crossed the gap with ease.

When the streak stops on the other side of the gap it isn’t another student. Nick was the first to make a statement, “Who and what the _fuck_ is that?!”

Ray elected to sign, ‘That would probably be the friendly _thing_ we mentioned.’

What now stood on the other side is none other than Beowulf the hybrid, standing at a frightening 9’0’’ fur blowing in the wind, claws, and fangs gleaming in the early morning sun with his nose is to the air smelling something.

“ _That’s_ the friendly Grimm? Have you lost it?! It’s bigger than most known—scratch that, _all_ known—alpha Beowolves!” Yang turned to both Ray and Grace. Ray shrugged, looking to his partner. 

“To be fair, it had ample opportunity to attack us, and that one was different,” Grace supplied.

“Different _how_ , exactly?” Tera asked.

“Its eyes,” Grace responded.

Said eyes were glowing a vibrant Cobalt blue as they surveyed the recently decapitated Nevermore. **_‘I would have preferred it to still be breathing.’_ ** There is a chuckle from Beo, _‘I doubt our audience would want it still breathing, it couldn’t have been killed more than 2 minutes ago. Take what you can get.’_ Wulf snorts in acknowledgment as he makes his way towards the still bleeding carcass. 

From their view, the Grimm was advancing towards the recently deceased Nevermore. Jaune looked like he was going to live up to his nickname, Ren looked impassive as ever, save for the slight twitch of his throat. Pyrrha looked away completely, not wanting to watch this. Nora was… well _Nora_ , and decided to watch in earnest. “Don’t tell me that it’s…” Nick trailed off.

“Probably,” Grace said. “However, one of us should be recording this for research purposes. I’m pretty sure one of the professors prides themselves on Grimm Studies.” When no one took out their scroll, Grace sighed before opening her scroll and started taping the spectacle in front of her.

As Wulf draws closer to the corpse he takes a deep breath through his nose smelling the kill before him. Wulf lets out a sigh, **“Ahh, a fresh kill. Good. its blood will tell us all we need to know.”** He begins to climb on top of the Nevermore’s chest sniffing here and there as if he were looking for something.

‘Did it just talk?’ Ray was surprised, as this was _not_ a part of their first meeting. Grace almost dropped her scroll out of sheer shock. Nick’s jaw found a home on the forest floor and Tera had a hand cupped over her mouth, amber-orange eyes wide. Yang had her mouth to the floor and her lilac eyes didn’t focus on a specific place, more like looking over the Grimm all at once. Jaune _actually_ lived up to his nickname, looking over to the far left, away from everyone, and vomited. Pyrrha finally looked at the sight before her and was ensnared. None of the group was prepared for a Grimm to speak in their life.

Reaching where his nose told him the heart was, Wulf lowers his haunches and looks down at the expired Grimm, for a moment almost looking contemplative. Then without warning a peal of bone-chilling laughter rips out of the Grimm his teeth bared in a hellish grin, **“This reminds me of a book I got my paws on once, the first line still stands out to me, ‘quote the Raven ‘Nevermore.’ I guess it was true because nevermore shall you breathe. But your secrets?”** At this a clawed arm is raised, **“Your secrets are now mine!”** With a howl Beowulf tears into the dead creature’s chest with tooth and claw. As he violently tears the skin apart with his claws he bites into the breast meat with his teeth and pulls it away sending tissue and black blood everywhere.

At this present point, everyone looked like they were about to join Jaune in the Vomit club. “Oh, I am hoping Ruby is not looking at this, nor can she hear this. This would be scarring for life,” Yang said, increasingly worried about her sister. Ray, honestly, did not have that concern, but now that it was mentioned, it definitely was on his mind now. He attempted to shift out of Nick’s arms, but the Cobra, quite ironically, had a constricting grip on him. It wasn’t painful, but enough to keep him in place.

“Nuh-uh, you aren’t teleporting anywhere, and if you do, _I’m_ coming with you,” Nick threatened. “You and I both know you don’t have enough juice to make that jump.”

Grace, meanwhile, was quite literally shaking. Her scroll was still tight in her hand, but it didn’t help that the rest of her body was trembling. Tera ended up wrapping an arm around her just to calm her down. “Breath, Gracie,” Tera whispered into her ear.

Grace’s body shivered again, but for an entirely different reason, “O-Okay.”

Nora finally looked away, declaring that she couldn’t watch it anymore. Then proceeded to turn around and watch it again. How very... hypocritical? Not bothering with that line of thought, Ren and Pyrrha turned away fully, even taking a few steps back.

“So, what should we do?” Nick asked the group.

“Truthfully,” Tera said, “I don’t think there’s anything we _can_ do.”

There is a loud crunch as the Grimm’s teeth finally meet the Nevermore’s rib cage. Pulling his head away Beowulf tosses the floating rib bone into a pile of blood and gore before returning to the ribcage and violently crunching down on the upper ribs. Breaking the ribs reveals the true prize, its heart, with a quick bite to sever the attached arteries and veins Wulf pulls his head free of the corpse, with its heart in his mouth. With black blood coating his body like a coat of armor he consumes the heart, The memories of this Nevermore flashed through Beowulf’s mind like rapidly changing slide projections, the only thing that was clear was a woman. Pale in complexion and with eyes as red as blood, Beo and Wulf had no idea who she was but they both had seen her before.

“Oh, that’s just nasty,” Nick cringed in disgust.

“I think I may want to not eat anything when we get back,” Grace said, having turned off her recording because her stomach felt queasy.

‘I never want to witness this again, and suddenly I am grateful that they did not try to attack us,’ Ray signed, to which everyone nodded in agreement.

“Should we leave?” Tera asked once her attention was shifted away from the hunter getting their prey.

‘It would most likely be in our best interest,’ Ray commented.

The commentary brings Beowulf out of his blood induced trip down memory lane, snapping over to the large group across the gap, he feels the fur on the back of his neck stand up, there is the same Silver eyed teenager who he ran into not 20 minutes before. Every fiber of his body told him that he was in danger, but for some reason, he didn’t move.

Ray didn’t know why, but he was staring right at the Grimm, looking—or attempting to—into the irises of the Grimm. Something told him that this Grimm would not harm him. However, that skepticism dwindled in his mind with assurance. That was something that shocked him. To be fair, the Grimm _didn’t_ attack Grace and himself; not to mention how it, er _they_ , reacted to looking at him. Ray felt a buzz in his mind, which quickly turned into a headache soon after. He clutched his head before Nick continued to shoulder him away.

However, there was one person that everyone seemed to forget about. Her voice was the only indicator, “Is that a _puppy?!_ ” There was a collective ‘oh no’ from the group.

“Somebody better go get her, before something else happens,” Grace said. Yang was quick to form a plan and asked Pyrrha to launch her, and she complied.

“Ruby, stay away from the Grimm!” She shouted as she crossed the chasm, using _Ember Celica_ to redirect her momentum towards her falling sister.

While Yang was flying towards Ruby, the blonde aimed to where their paths intersect. Suddenly, a white glyph helped Yang launch herself even farther, “Thanks, Ice Queen!”

“That’s not my name!” Weiss shouted back, giving her another glyph to leap on.

Ruby was about to make contact with the puppy when her momentum was redirected and then suddenly, she was looking at a cliff face with her sister’s arms around her. They ended up close to where the Nevermore’s body was. “Never do that again! What if the Grimm countered you or killed you?! Not every Beowolf is going to be like this one.”

Seeing the opportunity, Wulf drops to all four and lunges to the treeline getting the hell out of there.

“This one is different, Yang. I can feel it,” Ruby said with determination.

Ray heard that because of the echo, ‘She is not wrong. That Grimm is different.’ His headache was subsiding, but every few heartbeats felt like someone clubbed him over the head.

“Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with,” Tera said.

“Not to break up the touching moment!” Nick shouted. “Shouldn’t we head back? I for one actually want to eat something today despite the recent events we just witnessed!”

That was true, as everyone’s stomachs decided to demonstrate a whale’s mating call.


	17. Rolling with the Punches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, this is pseudo part III of initiation, but it's more of an aftermath. 10000 words.
> 
> This also puts us over 100k words, and we are not done, not even close.
> 
> CW: Depictions of Gore, Blood, etc... be warned

Once that fiasco was done and over with, the group of twelve all met on the same side and started their walk through the forest. Each one checked on Ray at various points and at various frequencies. The crimsonette, the brawler, the sharpshooter, the slick one, and the casual businesswoman were amongst the highest. The cat ninja and the Ice Queen the least. Somewhere in the middle was the pancake-obsessed ginger, the stoic male, the champion, and Vomit Boy. At least, that’s what Ray mentally named them as he still was not in peak condition and probably will not be in the coming hours.

“So, what can we talk about?” Jaune asked as he pushed a tree branch out of the way for Weiss, who rolled her eyes and passed by without a word. Jaune looked down at this and Ruby secretly psyched herself up.

“How we survived for one,” Nick retorted dryly.  _ Also, what the fuck did we just witness? _

“We got a long road with four years of this,” Tera added matter-of-factly.

The crimsonette chimed in cheerfully, “It will be a fun four years though, surrounded by friends, other professors, and students.”

Yang groaned, “Don’t remind me about professors, Rubes. We still have coursework and other activities to add on. Being a Huntsman or Huntress is more than fieldwork.” That was too…  _ good _ for Yang.

‘Who are you, and what have you done with Yang?’ Ray signed in jest.

“Well, after seeing that, it puts it into perspective how much we  _ don’t _ know about Remnant,” Yang replied with a serious undertone.

Grace looked bemused, “Was totally expecting-”

“ _ Nevermore _ about that, I just want us to make it back to Beacon safe and sound.”

“-there it is,” the slate-haired girl said, as multiple groans sounded off. Not everyone likes Yang’s puns. What’s interesting is the fact that Blake was hiding a minuscule smile.

“That means Ren can make me pancakes!” Nora proclaimed whilst Ren sighed in mock exasperation.

“If I make them, I make them for all of us,” Ren said stoically whilst everyone made sounds of agreement, not to mention a few of the group’s stomachs rumbled…  _ again _ .

Weiss, not knowing the hell she was about to unleash, said, “What’s a pancake?”

Everyone present could feel the—not exactly murderous, but out of context it could be taken as such—glare from Nora projecting onto Weiss. “You _don’t_ _know_ what a _pancake_ is‽”

“Weiss, Nora will remember this, so it would be in your best interest if you appease her on this when we return to Beacon,” Ren said before either girl could respond. Thankfully, no argument broke out.

After watching them bicker back and forth, all in good nature, Yang turned around to look directly at Ray, “However, you’re hiding something.”

Ray didn’t confirm nor deny that, as he gave her a confused look. Him cradling his left side wasn’t an indicator? The fact his head still felt like it would melt from the inside out also wasn’t an indicator? The fact that he was basically being carried by Nick at this point?

As for Blake and Weiss, they were… uncomfortable, to say the least. Even if Weiss wasn’t arguing, she and Blake share one thing in common: They both have a sister as partners. Both equally annoying, but endearing at the same time. Then there are the four that are closely associated with the sisters. Weiss already knows Tera, but to see her fraternizing with a Faunus makes her question… well, everything relating to them. Blake was shooting concealed glances at the Cobra, wondering if his story was completely true.

Sure, some of it seems plausible, but to have been there that day… the raven-haired girl will have to look into it. She noticed one of his scales on his left arm was cracked, and the skin underneath it was scarred, so there was a story there. However, that was for another time.

“We’re not going to acknowledge what we witnessed?” Jaune asked, confused. Nick was thankful that someone other than him was asking the real questions.

“I honestly am perfectly fine with not acknowledging it,” Tera grimaced. The sheer ferocity that the Grimm was emitting when devouring that Nevermore’s heart. Grotesque, sure, but something that she would rather not repeat again.

After that, the walk back to the landing zone was filled with idle chatter and the occasional Grimm. Tera and Ray looked at their relics with relief, knowing they both survived the fight. Grace and Nick shared a quick hug, and Tera exchanged hugs with the two of them. Ray offered a high five since he wasn’t in the greatest of conditions. Even though the pain, he was still smiling, but it was the adrenaline leaving his body that made him feel all sorts of pain. Something told him that this would not be the first time that they would feel this. Ray passed Grace the relic to hold onto since she was in better condition.

Even so, one thought ran through the quartet’s heads as a dropship landed on the ground. The pilot assisted all of them in and didn’t make any side comments, and to his knowledge, this was not the worst condition he has seen teams in. Some were barely hanging on, yet that specific team turned out to be one of the top teams to ever graduate from Beacon.

Still, that thought remained.

They made it. They actually  _ fucking _ made it, they survived, but it was short-lived as they remembered that this was only the first group of three. No one wanted to know how many died in this group. For all they know, only the twelve of them survived, maybe others did too, but that’s a stretch. The injured, though, was a list of people that everyone wanted to see. Ray definitely got onto that list after that Taijitu almost suffocated him. He was focusing on breathing rather than conversation or lists or even coherent thought. He felt like a party popper before it burst.

Something cracked when the Taijitu squeezed him, and Ray was cradling his left side more, as his left arm was pinned at that time. His loss of awareness cost him, he knew that, but it was fast. King Taijitus are smarter than others of its class, and the sheer tenacity that Nick and Grace showed when making a plan made it easier. Then Tera came in, disorienting the Grimm long enough for Ray to get a clean kill shot, even if it was at the cost of some of his aura reserves. Given a day’s rest, he’ll be fine. Still, he wanted to purge the thoughts of accepting death. There was more to him and he wouldn’t fall to something so easy.

They were already working as a team, even before this, and the forest proved that. Ray looked up to see Grace staring at him with a look on her face, one of thought. Ray guessed that she was thinking about that Grimm they both encountered and how it tore out the heart of the Grimm that Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang killed. Which didn’t make sense, because when Grimm are killed, they are supposed to disappear after a set time. So why didn’t it when that one Beowolf leaped onto the corpse?

Another question for another day as they all boarded the airship that flew them back up to Beacon. Ray couldn’t sit down without assistance and with a slightly pleading look to Nick, he helped him settle gently onto the cot that was used for injured passengers. Now, the silver-eyed boy prayed that this wasn’t going to be a bumpy ride.

Ray heard some idle chatter, “Nora, relax. We will arrive at Beacon soon.”

“You’re going to make me pancakes, right Ren, and for the Ice Queen over there?” Nora asked with too much enthusiasm after a fight for her life. There were a few chuckles that sounded off across the airship, even an offended  _ ‘Hey!’ _ from said Ice Queen.

“Tomorrow, Nora. Right now, we have other priorities, let’s settle into Beacon before anything else.” Ren responded. Jaune and his partner Pyrrha freaking Nikos were resting next to each other on the floor. They didn’t need to exchange words. Nick seemed to be near Blake but neither initiated a conversation choosing the silence over anything else. 

Tera and Weiss seemed to be having a civil conversation and they were leaning on each other, most likely due to exhaustion. This initiation was taxing on all of them. The pilot made his final checks before heading back up to the cockpit and disengaging the auto-pilot.

From his view on the bed, two people stuck to his side, and of course, they were curious, “So what happened?” Yang asked, her lilac eyes surveying his body for any other injuries. Ruby was holding both of her hands tightly, eyes surveying the other potential areas for hidden injuries that Ray would hide out of pride.

‘{Taijitu constriction.}’ Short answers were his go-to as it took much more rational thought to sign. Breathing continued to be a challenge and he was fighting the urge to sleep.

Both Ruby and Yang were concerned, looking to his ribs, “May I?” Yang’s voice was soft, much like when they were younger and Ray hurt himself from tripping over some random tree root back in Patch. Always defensive of her younger siblings.

He squeezed her hand and let it go as she prodded over his chest. His vest was hung over the side of the cot, and Ray finally realized that it was off him. Did he hit his head? He doesn’t  _ feel _ like he has a concussion. In the midst of the action, his injuries were the least of concern. His aura was still recovering, but any energy he got went to healing.

Yang’s fingers slowly slid up the right side of his ribs, checking each rib, nothing happened, Ray didn’t feel pain, he only felt her fingers. His eyes closed and Ruby gently spoke to keep him awake. “Don’t fall asleep on us yet.”

Yang’s hand switched sides and while no other part of her showed it, her hand trembled. ‘{It is okay, you will know when you hit it.}’

“I just don’t want to hurt you,” Yang said softly. Ray waved off her concern and let her continue. His lower ribs were fine, but once she reached to the ones just below his heart, his eyes widened, and he grit his teeth as a natural reaction. Yang’s hand shot away like he burned her. A small huff escaped once the pain subsided. “Well, I don’t think it’s broken, but you are going to have to get it checked out.” He nodded as he reached out with his free hand to grab Yang’s hand and squeezed out a thank you.

“How’s my partner?” Grace’s voice brought the siblings out of their tender moment. Ruby was silent because all she wanted to do was cuddle, but she was a little sweaty, grimy, and all-around disgusting. Not to mention that Ray was too and he was hurt on the one side she loves to cuddle into. It shouldn’t really matter, either way, he’s also in the same boat with dirt smeared on his cheek, some torn clothes and she noticed the blood on his hands. Ruby assumed that it was his, but did that mean he had another injury that he didn’t tell her about?

Instead of worrying about it, Ruby answered, “Potential bruised or cracked rib, but otherwise, he’s good. Are there any other injuries that we should know about?”

“Out of the twelve of us, Ray has it the worst, Blake being the closest behind him.” Something flashed in Yang’s eyes as they shot back to the group. Ray did not fail to notice this and smirked slightly despite the oncoming grimace. Grace looked at him, “Take it easy when we get back, am I understood, Ray?”

He nodded his thanks before acknowledging Grace’s order. He noticed how she took charge and how she commanded them and they followed. They didn’t know who was going to be the leader, but if Ray was a betting man… he’ll bet his Lien on Grace. The slate-haired girl led the two sisters away so he could rest.

It felt like it was a few hours, but it was actually a few minutes. The airship PA system announced that they were arriving at Beacon and everyone slowly got themselves up, and the pilot made sure they were all okay to stand, even calling the medical staff on standby. That shook Ray out of his slumber, the aches making themselves known in his muscles. Everyone else all rubbed out the tightness in their muscles. Everyone wondered if they were the only ship that survived this group’s initiation.

However, they were pleasantly surprised to see from the window that there was a second ship that arrived as well. Nick went over to Ray, offering his assistance. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” Nick rhetorically asked as he helped Ray up. He grimaced at the jolting of his side, but there was no easy way around it. On the bright side, he could breathe much easier now, his recovering aura targeting his ribs. His steps were wobbly, but he managed to get himself off the airship and cover his eyes as the bright light of day whacked him over the head. What time was it anyway? It couldn’t have been any later than 10 AM.

“Come on, let’s report in, you still have our relic?” Nick asked Tera.

“Yes, Nick, I still have it,” she opened her case and displayed the relic.

Grace and Ray shared a look before the slate-haired girl pulled out theirs, “Good thing you handed this to me before we left the area. It would be pretty awkward if we didn’t have one.” Ray nodded in agreement before gesturing to her to go first. Even when injured, he was still a gentleman.

The two airships landed next to each other on the pads, and all twelve exited calmly, and with a hidden tension off all of their shoulders. The second airship opened up and out came Cardin Winchester with three others and then about three more groups of students followed behind them. So that relieved the three groups coming off the first ship, but that also sent a spike down their spines, only twenty-eight people survived in the first group of three.

As they were exiting the airship, Ruby and Weiss produced their relic, along with Blake and Yang. Jaune and Ren pulled out their respective relics before they all walked towards the amphitheater. Outside the door was Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch. “Is this all of Group One?” There was a second-year team standing next to them, watching. Ray noticed that it was the same team he phased through with Ruby yesterday. Ray refocused his eyes on Grace who latched an arm to him, having swapped places with Nick. The Cobra did the same to Tera. Professor Ozpin’s gaze looked at the four of them and then  _ smirked _ . No one else caught it though as he took a sip of his mug. Nick, after flicking out his tongue, realized it was hot chocolate. Strange, he took him for a coffee drinker.

There was a nod from the group, not knowing if there was anyone else. A somber yet chilling howl seemed to float on the wind, almost as if it knew that only seven groups had made it back alive. The other students at this point were now certainly terrified that out of one hundred-odd students—none of them even counted how many were in Group One—only around a third came back. That certainly gave them something to look forward to. “Produce your relics, and stand alongside your partner,” Professor Goodwitch ordered. Yang threw an arm over Blake’s shoulder, who was surprised and almost flinched away, which prompted Yang to pull away out of embarrassment. However, Blake pulled it back and let it stay, making a smile reappear on the brawler’s face. The shorter of the two was holding out the white knight piece. Ruby and Weiss stood next to each other, making the crimsonette smile widely whilst holding out the matching piece to Blake’s. Weiss huffed and looked away. The rest soon fell in line. Tera and Grace held out their matching pieces, as did everyone else, and received nods from Professor Goodwitch.

A side comment from the team standing aside brought the attention to them, “See, I was close. Seven teams worth of people returned; that’s way more than our group last year.” 

Those words were not exactly encouraging to those who have not gone through initiation. If they were meant to or not, Professor Ozpin did not acknowledge them as he turned and walked towards the amphitheater. “Team  _ PLTN, _ proceed with the previous task I’ve assigned you. Meet back at the east side of the grounds in an hour, understood?”

“Understood Headmaster,” the leader turned to his team, “Alright, let’s get to work. Two teams of two, red flares are to be used only if it’s too messy for us to handle. We have about an hour before the next group of students launch, so let’s not waste any more time.”

Group One watched them go without so much as a glance back.

* * *

That prompted the twenty-eight survivors of Group One to follow Professor Ozpin inside and made the rest of the students stand on the floor below the stage. None of them were expecting anything and Ozpin continued to announce the teams for Group One, “...retrieved the black pawn pieces. The four of you will be known as team  _ VRML (Vermilion) _ , led by...Vest Li.” Applause rang out for those now assigned. 

Professor Ozpin continued, “Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces, and from this day forth the four of you will work together as team  _ CRDL (Cardinal) _ , led by Cardin Winchester.”

A few rounds of applause came around, as the rest of the potential first-year students were… not exactly happy, but impressed that they survived. That still meant they had to go through it as well.

“What do you think our team name will be?” Tera whispered to Grace. The slate-haired girl shrugged.

“As long as we are on the same team, that’s all that matters,” she replied easily, the name was not as important right now. That didn’t mean she thought of names already, none of them fit.

Professor Ozpin’s voice brought their attention to center stage, “Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as team _JNPR_ _(Juniper)_ , led by…” he paused for effect as Nora giggled and hugged Ren, “Jaune Arc.”

“What? Me?” the blond was certainly surprised at this revelation, as were most of the student body.

“Congratulations, young man,” Professor Ozpin commented, with a look that said something more. Ray was not really paying attention but noticed that people were laughing at Jaune, and Ray felt upset, but a few new names brought his attention back to the stage. “Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces, and from this day forward you will be known as team _RWBY_ _(Ruby)_ , led by… Ruby Rose.” Ray smiled wide as his baby sister was named team leader. 

Yang expressed her affection as she yelled out, “I’m so proud of you!” Ruby did not groan about the hug. Weiss looked furious, but thankfully, did not have an outburst. Tera would have to confront her about that eventually. The Mistralian could already see the animosity stirring and the steam blowing out of her ears.

Professor Goodwitch ushered the last four remaining of Group One to the stage as Professor Ozpin said, “And finally, Grace Briggs, Nick O’Brien, Ray O’Connor, and Tera Rowe.” Some people recognized Tera’s last name, but thankfully, did not comment on it. However, there were going to be some rumors and whispers after today. ”The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team _GRNT_ _(Granite)_.” Somewhere off in the distance, there was a ding, barely audible to Nick’s ears, and Blake heard it too, but shrugged it off. “You will be led by…” Professor Ozpin looked at Ray for a fleeting moment before he announced, “Grace Briggs.” Professor Ozpin did not fail to notice Ray’s slumped shoulders of relief before he smiled wide, turned, and picked up Grace, who squealed in shock and surprise at the sudden height increase. 

“Put me down, Ray!” Grace giggled. “You’re still injured,” she added. Ray didn’t care, it was worth it. Tera and Nick shared a hug before the four of them shared a group hug on stage, each one gentle with Ray. They made it, they were a team, and another step of their goal was achieved.

“Group Two, prepare for your initiation in an hour and a half at noon sharp. Do not be late,” the Headmaster said before starting to walk off the stage. “As for Group One, you are free to relax until Group Two returns. Congratulations.” The Headmaster left the stage and the newly formed teams  _ RWBY  _ and  _ JNPR _ joined  _ GRNT _ on the stage. The only ones not in it were Blake and Weiss. The two were not at that level yet.

“We made it!” Grace shouted with tears starting to form. There was a large hug that was shared between all of them. Ruby, Yang, and Ray ended up next to each other. Ray tapped on the crimsonette’s shoulder ‘{Are you happy?}’

She tapped back, ‘{I am.}’ Nick smiled as he introduced himself to  _ JNPR _ formally now, and asked if they wanted to chat later over dinner. Grace readily agreed, overhearing him, knowing that they would have time to sit down and have an actual conversation while not fighting for their lives.

Tera slipped away from the hug and walked over to Blake and Weiss, “How are you two feeling?”

The Heiress huffed, “We survived, that is all I can ask for.”

“For once, we’re in agreement,” Blake said. She stretched her arms above her head, “I am all for relaxing though. After those Grimm, I definitely need a nap.” There was an unspoken vibe between the three of them.  _ After we watched what was basically Grimm cannibalism, we certainly need rest. _

Nick shouted, “I second that!” As did everyone else. Professor Goodwitch was also considerate enough to assign the three teams rooms, thankfully staying behind to help the rest of them come off their adrenaline highs and various shakes.

“Please treat your rooms with respect, and clean them often. The mess will always catch up with you,” she said with a stern tone. The three leaders readily agreed as they each opened up where they would reside for the next four years. As a final note, “Mr. O’Connor, report to the infirmary so we can get documentation of your wounds or any other injuries you may have sustained out there.”

Ray grimaced but did not refute her. Instead, he gave her a two-finger salute before slipping by to head to the infirmary, wincing at every other step. Ruby and Yang quickly followed after him. 

“As for the rest of you, welcome to Beacon Academy. Mr. O’Brien?” Goodwitch asked.

“Yesss?”

“That maneuver you accomplished with Mr. O’Connor was quite impressive, and Professor Ozpin won’t say it, but that’s the first time in a long time I’ve ever seen him caught off-guard like that,” she said tonelessly, but the words were much lighter in meaning.

Nick shrugged, “Didn’t think it would work, to be honessst. The good thing isss we ssstill have sssurprisesss in ssstore.”

* * *

The four second-year students stood on the Airship, descending into the Emerald Forest. Today was the day most upperclassmen dread, having to find the unidentifiable has-been first years. The Fox Faunus turned to her leader, “Pearce?” The blonde-haired boy looked away from the datapad he was holding while stepping off the transport and turned to Nella. “What do we do if we find survivors out there?” 

Pearce had a thoughtful look on his face, but his answer was not as such, “For the ones that can still fight do not interfere. If they are severely injured but still can be saved I’d say save them if it’s possible. If not-”

“Put them out of their misery Nella,” her brother, Tavis, chimed in as he stretched. Nella twitched at the thought of having to put a fellow student down. This never sat right with her, and it probably never will. 

“Let’s go,” a soft voice said as all three of them looked down at their smallest member.

Pearce regained control of the situation, “Lavender is right. Let’s get going, Nella, you and Lavender head north while Tavis and I will head south.” Nella and Tavis nodded. The two pairs separated off to their respective zones. They had to work quickly, as it would be quite a shock to land and see a dead student to ones’ left or right.

“Oh jeez, I can smell one,” Nella said as she took another sniff as the two girls entered a clearing, “The person should be right he-oh my gosh.” Nella recoiled a bit at the scene before them, her ears pinned back and tail stiff. A pair of students or what remained of two students. Both were missing their bottom halves, one was missing her arm and the other one was missing his head. The girl’s eyes were open wide showing an expression of shock and fear. As her hand was reaching out for the other male.  _ Partners, maybe lovers. _ Dried blood stained the ground around them and stained their clothes and the girl’s outstretched hand. Intestines had been pulled out and spread all over the place. Nella looked at the mess and shuddered. Lavender who already prepped and fired the red flare looked at the bodies then at Nella.

“We should go,” Lavender said as she walked off into the forest. Nella numbly followed, attempting to get the image out of her head.

Both boys had made a fair distance without seeing anybody. Pearce looked at his teammate and then at his datapad, which contained the approximate locations of the flares fired. “I swear there was one here.” 

“That’s because there is one right here,” Tavis pointed as Pearce looked down, seeing the dead student with several slash marks and mangled left leg. His eyes had been closed indicating someone must have been with him at the time of his death. Both Tavis and Pearce looked at each other, seemingly unphased by what had happened to the student. Tavis knelt down and picked up the kid and turned to Pearce who was saying a few words of respect for the fallen student.

“Looks like someone already laid him to rest,” Pearce mentioned as he looked at the body. They made their way to a sizable open clearing and fired off a white flare indicating that a body was ready for pick-up. Tavis set the body down in an easy to see place. Tavis turned to Pearce who nodded as they continued on with their task.

Nella and Lavender continued moving through the forest. They had come across about seventeen fallen students. They had just gotten the fallen student before Nella froze as her tail and ears stiffened and caught a whiff of someone she turned sharply to the left, “Lavender, this way, follow me!” Nella said frantically as she bolted off. Lavender was slightly startled as Nella ran past her, but followed her. Nella picked up what could only be described as painful cries for help. Nella made it to an opening and at the sight, she dropped to her knees as she covered her mouth immobilized in sheer shock as she watched an Ursa Major ripping into a student’s legs as the girl desperately stabbed the Ursa repeatedly in the head with a broken blade while crying out of desperation. 

“Come on please j-just go down! I can’t die here. I made my brother a promise to become a huntress. To save people.” The girl cried out obviously in pain. The Ursa seemingly annoyed that its prey was not dead yet, tightened its grip around the girl’s lower torso causing her to drop her blade and let loose another scream as blood trickled from her and the Ursa Major’s mouth. The life was being slowly crushed out of her as she and Nella made eye contact. Her eyes pleaded for Nella to help her. Nella felt a gust of wind blow past her, ears twitching at the sensation. Lavender quickly planted her hands on both the upper and lower jaws, and out of sheer strength, pried them open allowing the girl to be let free. Lavender quickly flowed by kneeing in the jaw then following up with a devastating blow to the head killing the Ursa immediately. Lavender stepped back and dusted herself off then turned to the girl who at this was well-past saving. Nella stumbled to her feet and slowly walked over to the girl and Lavender looked at Nella then at the girl. 

“She’s past saving, we should put her down so she doesn’t suffer,” Lavender said as she pulled out a simple sword. Nella looked at her with an unsettled look on her face.

“Lavender wait, maybe we can-” Nella tried to protest but froze again as Lavender stabbed the girl, killing her instantly. Lavender slowly withdrew her blade and cleaned off the blade and sheathed it then loaded another flare.

“T-That was the last one right?” Nella stuttered as she was still quite shaken up from these past events. Lavender simply nodded. she then sat down next to the body. Both girls waited for a bit before the airship arrived. Nella looked at Lavender. 

“Did you have to stab her?” Nella asked. she was questioning if killing the student was the right thing to do. Lavender opened her eyes and looked at her and nodded. 

“Yeah. I did.” She said in her soft tone but with Nella’s hearing, she could hear a hint of coldness in her voice indicating she stood solid in her decision. 

A gust of wind caught their attention as the airship landed nearby Pearce and Tavis stepped off to meet them. Tavis walked up and picked the girl as Pearce looked at Lavender then at Nella who was at the point had this scared look on her face as she looked at her bloodied hands she was trembling and it was very noticeable. 

“Nella? You alright?” Pearce asked as he put his hand on her shoulder Nella twitched slightly as Pearce touched her shoulder.

“Y-Yeah I t-think. Y-Yeah I’m alright. I-I’m just... I’m just a little shaken up right now-” Nella took a deep breath and let out a sigh, “-seeing all those bright eyes of the first-year students and knowing that most of them are going to take their final breath here it’s heartbreaking.” Nella looked at Lavender who had already gotten on the airship. “I hope I never have to watch another student be put down again.” Nella whimpered as Pearce helped guide Nella back to the airship.

“It’s hard I know especially with how you are always wanting the best for others. But sometimes we can’t do anything. He said as he sat Nella down next to Tavis who without any hesitation wrapped his arm around his sister pulling her close and started to comfort her. Pearce turned his attention to his sister 

“You put that girl down didn’t you?” Pearce asked as Lavender turned her head and nodded, her gaze slowly shifted to the student then back to Pearce. “Are you ok Lavender?” Lavender nodded again.

“I’m fine. I did what I had to do,” she said quietly. Pearce looked at her then motioned to her sit down next to him as the airship headed back to the academy.

“Team, that should be it for today. Other teams will handle the other waves of students. We will stay on the airship to retrieve the bodies from now on unless something drastic happens.” The trio let out various noises of agreement. The day has only just begun, and there was so much death that has yet to happen.

* * *

Beowulf had seen the purple-haired girl kill that first year from his spot in the tree line, some would say it wasn’t right to kill that girl. He did not agree, because when you’ve seen what Grimm are truly capable of, mercy-killing that girl in his eyes was a kindness. Ursas were monstrous murder machines, eating people who were still alive, children hell even other Grimm. 

**_‘That was what was left of group one. What should we do now?’_ ** Beo knew he had a number of things he could do. He could find a spot in the forest where no other Grimm could find him and nap for the hour he had in between group one and two. He could hunt some other Grimm or could try and track down that male who smelled of magic and insanity. 

**_‘He definitely felt a bit familiar in a way.’_ ** Wulf sounded so confused and unsure of himself, something not new as of late. Wulf felt the rage of the Grimm, all angered by his presence, almost as if they knew he was an invader. 

_ ‘Well, I can feel their anger too.’  _ Wanting to up the challenge, Beo pokes his other half,  _ ‘Want to really piss ‘em off?’  _

Amusement trickles from Wulf,  **_‘They seem pretty pissed off… How do you recommend we really infuriate them?’_ ** As far as Wulf was concerned their ability to fight and survive through wolf packs, Grinder pairs, and every other kind of Grimm group was aggravating enough. So he was curious what his other half came up with.

_ ‘What do you think is the meanest and biggest Grimm is in this forest?’  _ The memories they stole from the Nevermore might point them in the right direction, but Wulf was the one who did the memory diving hence why he asked.

Wulf took a moment to dive into the recently “obtained” memories and laugh at the humor that the World seemed to have.

_ ‘You gonna tell me what is so funny?’  _ Asked Beo, wondering if Wulf was laughing at him or something else.

After his laughter had subsided Wulf replied,  **_‘If anything it should not be this fucking funny, The biggest thing in this forest is another Nevermore.’_ ** Another burst of laughter escaped the Grimm, unable to not find it humorous. 

_ ‘You’re right, it definitely should not be that funny… where is it?’  _ Beo was holding back his own snickers while trying to get a heading out of his other side.

**_‘Not really sure, but why don’t you let me find it? This is an opportunity for me to run about in the open.’_ ** Wulf was right, up until they fed on the Nevermore’s heart they had kept the Grimm form under wraps. Beo figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea and it gave him time to figure out what bothered him about that silver-eyed teen,  _ ‘Yeah, sure have at it, I got some stuff to think about anyway.’  _ With a roar the massive Grimm that is Beowulf tears into the forest hunting down an oversized black chicken.

  
  


* * *

Ray was in and out when it came to his checkup. The nurses just inspected his ribs, wrapped them with soothing aloe, put a brace around his ribs, and told him to not get involved in any combat if he could help it, and to not do any  _ extraneous  _ activities. Ray flushed but did not make any comment. Ruby and Yang doted on him because he was their only brother and they need to make sure he’s alright. Yang was being Yang, as she always worried about the littlest things when it came to his and Ruby’s happiness. Ruby cuddled up to his non-injured side and was careful with her hands.

As for the aforementioned crimsonette, something told Ray it was more than just her sisterly instincts looking out for him, and the answer was nowhere in sight, as ironic as it sounds. Anyway, they all headed back to their respective dorm rooms and once the door was opened for Ruby and Yang, Weiss looked ready to commit murder and Ray stepped back and let the two sisters be pulled into the room.

At that exact moment, the same happened to Ray, except it was the girls who pulled him in. “Well, about time, we were waiting for you since we wanted to decide who gets what bed!” Grace cheered as she took her hair out of her braid. Tera watched as her friend, team leader, basically adopted sister go from serious to casual in a split second. Did the room just get hotter?

Tera quickly recovered from her funk before looking at Ray, “So, pick wisely, because there will be no take-backs.”

‘Have we even decided to move the room around?’ he asked because as it stood now, it was basic. There were two beds on each side of the room, and the desks were all pushed into the middle of the room, all facing one another. The room  _ almost _ looked like some suite, but the red-greyish carpet said otherwise. There was a door off to the side, and it presumably led to a bathroom or something of the sort, but all in all, this room could definitely work for them.

“To be honest, no. We wanted to wait for you,” Tera shrugged, having thrown herself onto a bed at random and let out a relief filled moan. “Holy Dust, Zhè chuáng zhēn shūfú (This bed is so comfortable.)”

‘I appreciate you waiting then,’ Ray surmised with a grin. ‘Boys on one side, girls on the other?’ It was fair, and while they did live in the same house for four years, they were not  _ that _ comfortable with one another.

“I vote yay,” Nick chimed in. “I’m not picky, however.”

Grace had already collapsed on the bed right next to Tera and was sleeping soundly. At that moment, the two boys shrugged before gently fixing the girls so they were lying down properly before retreating to their side of the room. Their luggage, which was completely forgotten about at this point, was outside their door, which was preceded by a knock and a confused Cobra Faunus.

Turns out, Professor Goodwitch had them sent up to them and one of Beacon’s lesser-known staff had retrieved them for the teams.

Ray brought all of them inside and set them on the floor beside the desks before lying on his chosen bed, which was closer to the door. Nick claimed the one to his left. The silver-eyed boy winced as he laid down and took a deep breath before allowing his eyes to close. Nick took one last look around the room before smiling softly to himself.  _ We made it,  _ and _ we’re on the same team together. What could be better than this? _

* * *

As much as they wanted to, their rest couldn’t last forever. A harsh knock on the door brought Grace awake first. She opened her eyes and flared her Semblance to use Truesight. Someone was outside the door, and from the outline, it was someone with a burning heart. “Ughh,” Grace groaned. She forced her sore muscles to work overtime as she got up from her bed and looked to her team.  _ My team _ , Grace thought, which brightened her a little. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Tera curled up on the bed, not in the position she fell onto the bed in. One look across the room revealed that the boys were just as tired. Nick was on his stomach while Ray was on his back, hand on his ribs.

Another knock brought Grace out of her trance, “Relax, I’m coming,” she grumbled through a yawn. Upon opening the door, Grace was faced with Yang, with concern written on the brawler’s face. “What is it?”

“Is everyone up?” Yang asked quietly, just in case that no one else in  _ GRNT _ was up. Grace shook her head whilst rubbing her eye. “I came to tell you the news of Group Two. They…” Yang paused, “None of them survived.”

That sobered Grace right up and thankfully her mind wasn’t processing this and saved her from screaming. “That can’t be right. Someone  _ had _ to have survived, t-that’s just not true.”

“Unfortunately, it’s true. This was only sent to leaders, but thankfully, I swiped Ruby’s scroll before she read it. Even better, she was napping, so it made it easy,” Yang explained, looking over her shoulder now. Yang’s eyes fell on Ray, who was still sleeping soundly.

Grace didn’t have to be a master detective to see who she was looking towards, “ I’ll keep an eye on my partner if you keep an eye on yours, deal?”

“Deal,” Yang agreed easily. “Dust, this is going to be so hard, even after everything. I can’t just turn off my older sister instincts.”

Grace let out a small chuckle, “I don’t blame you, but these students, how many of them were in Group Two?”

Yang winced, “Less than ours, but not by much, maybe around twelve to sixteen less?”

The slate-haired girl covered her mouth in renewed horror, “So over one hundred students died? How? Were the Grimm agitated or was it something else?”

Yang shrugged, “I have no idea, but I don’t think I’m going to sleep well knowing this. I mean, our class size is a definite twenty-eight students. I would like to have at least sixty to seventy live through this.”

“My parents—well, my dad—never mentioned how his initiation went at Shade, but he mentioned about getting dropped in the desert. Even still, most of his class survived,” Grace said.

“But this isn’t Vacuo,” Yang retorted, now leaning on the doorframe. Grace took to the opposite side, mirroring her stance. “But still, one hundred some odd students and  _ all _ of them go down. I just don’t like it. We should be out there helping them-”

“You know as well as I that we made it through initiation, and they knew the risks. While I am distraught about the loss of lives, I am more worried about the teams who have to go out there to scavenge the bodies and somewhat clean the area. If I was in the third group, I’d be scared to the core, going into an area and seeing the blood of my potential classmates,” Grace calmly replied.

Yang clenched her fists, and her eyes turned slightly red, but she was not mad at Grace. Her logic was sound and perfectly true. Professor Ozpin would never let them go back into the Emerald Forest. While a noble goal, it does not seem necessary to throw out their lives when they just barely survived. “I know… I’d just figure I’d let you know so you don’t scream out in shock when you found out.”

“How did Weiss and Blake take it?  _ JNPR _ ?” Grace asked. Yang bit her lip and broke eye contact. “They don’t know either,” Grace’s charcoal eyes hardened, knowing her words were not a question, but a statement. “How long have you known?”

“About fifteen minutes, and I needed someone level-headed to talk to. I’m pretty sure the Ice Queen would write them off as not good enough and Blake… I don’t know,” Yang sighed before uprighting her posture and standing just a few inches over Grace.

“Well, are you going to tell them, or am I going to?” the slate-haired girl inquired. A rustle of the bed had her eyes elsewhere as Tera started squirming.

“Mmm, why uscho loud?” Tera grumbled. Grace went to the Mistralian’s side and pushed some of her hair out of her face, which Grace did not notice Tera’s body shiver from the touch. Tera’s amber-orange eyes cracked open, “Hey, what time is it?”

“Around two PM,” Yang supplied from the door, but her eyes were looking at Ray.

“Go on, since you seem so impatient about it,” Grace rolled her eyes playfully, and Yang immediately went to Ray’s bed.

Tera stretched, feeling her back pop, and let out a small laugh from the relief that flooded her system. “So, what’s the plan now? Has Ozpin called us to the amphitheater again?”

“Not yet, but I don’t think it will be much longer,” Grace said, which gained a sharp look from Yang. Grace sent one back, letting her know that she will take care of it soon.

“You know, this is the most peaceful I’ve ever seen him sleep,” Yang said softly, her hand just ghosting his forehead.

“Was he that bad as a kid?” Tera said, sitting up and stretching some more, pushing her chest together. Grace quickly checked her out before turning away with a small blush. Now wasn’t the time for ogling.

“No, just after he turned nine, there was…” Yang trailed off as everyone’s scrolls went off. Yang quickly checked it and turned to Grace and Tera.

**_All students please report to the Amphitheater for an update on initiation._ **

Their eyes shred the same feeling, dread, but more so on Tera’s end as this is the first time she’s hearing it.

“Ray, you gotta get up,” Yang cooed to his sleeping form. A furrow in his brows was the only indication of his consciousness. Then, his eyes cracked open like shutters, opening, and then closing at the harshness of the light.

‘{What is going on?}’ he tapped rapidly into the bed.

“Amphitheater, we have an update on Group Two. Nick-”

“I heard you. None of you are exactly the epitome of quiet,” Nick jested with a quick chuckle, getting up and stretching. He went over to his bag and pulled out breath mints before offering one to everyone.

“Right, forgot about the Faunus hearing,” Yang awkwardly shrugged, accepting a mint. “Come on, we better get going, no matter how exhausted we are. Something tells me that this will not be the first time.”

* * *

The amphitheater was a culmination of murmurs, conspiracy theories, and general unease. By now, everyone has gotten the announcement that Group Two has perished. However, some held out hope that the announcement was fake. Thankfully, Ruby remained ignorant to it, even though she questioned why everyone was whispering. 

No one was able to give her an answer as Professor Ozpin took the center stage. “As you have most likely heard, all of Group Two has died. Not a single soul survived. This pains me to report, to even think about. For now, we are looking into what caused the uproar in Grimm. Our staff is currently dispatching the Grimm, alongside the senior teams. Group Three  _ will _ be participating in their initiation after the threat level decreases. If you have any information on any of the students that have passed, please come forward and help. That is all. Group One, return to your rooms. Group Three, stand by.”

After Ozpin’s announcement,  _ GRNT _ stood by  _ JNPR _ . Tera was the first to speak, “So, I’ll be the one to say it: I would not want to be Group Three right about now.” Her voice was low so no one else outside of them could hear.

“However, I would have wanted to help, but even I know that we would be denied to since A) we’ve already completed our initiation and B) It is too dangerous for us to be out there,” Grace said, reasons of which were valid.

“Still, it’s horrible that all of them didn’t make it,” Pyrrha said off to the side.

“As dark as it sounds, there is nothing we can do for them now,” Ren said plainly. Ray found himself agreeing with Ren. It hurts worse than anything, having witnessed the life leave a student’s eyes, but it also made that much harder to not leap back  _ off _ Beacon to go help.

“Anyone still tired?” Jaune asked.

‘I am pretty sure I am still considered injured. Breathing still kind of hurts. That Taijitu had an iron grip,’ Ray signed, before grabbing his side again, broadcasting his point. ‘I might just retire to our room tonight. Only bug me if it is something important.’

“Need help going upstairs?” Ruby meekly asked, with the rest of  _ RWBY _ behind her.

‘Come on Ruby-Roo, I am not going far,’ he signed to his sister before walking out of the amphitheater, with her on his uninjured side.

Nora had a look on her face, “If those two weren’t siblings, do you think they’d be dating?”

Yang’s now crimson eyes snapped to Nora, the remainder of  _ GRNT _ winced at the sheer ferocity of the glare, “He’d have to get past  _ me _ first.”

Nora countered with confidence, “But if you knew him as is now, would you let him date her?”

Yang did not have a response to that.

Pyrrha hummed, “She makes a good point, those two would be pretty adorable together.”

“Do we really need to hear this?” Tera muttered off to the side.

Nick snickered, “As long as we don’t start hearing about their adventures in-”

“Finish that sentence and I  _ will _ deck you,” Yang threatened.

“I was  _ going _ to say in the field, fighting Grimm,” Nick finished with a shit-eating grin.

Yang’s eyes narrowed but relented. Weiss said, “I don’t know about you all, but I will be going back to our room to unpack.”

“Yeah, you and your fifteen pieces of luggage,” Tera quipped.

“They were all important!” Weiss snapped back without any malice. Tera laughed saying that Weiss hasn’t changed much from the one time they met.

The group snickered as the banter went around. Soon enough, they all found themselves back to their respective rooms, except for two. Once  _ GRNT _ entered their room, they saw Ruby snuggled up to Ray who was actually awake. “So, what happened?”

‘I was out for a bit, but I remember why I should never nap next to her… she moves too much,’ Ray signed.

His three teammates laughed in mostly concealed silence before Nick took pity on him, “You want me to take her back to her teammates?”

‘Please.’

Nick gently scooped up Ruby and she stirred a little, but not enough to wake up, “Grace, the door?” She nodded before opening their door and then knocking on  _ RWBY’s _ door next to them. They actually got a nice place, albeit on the third floor.

Yang answered the door, before looking at Ruby in Nick’s arms, “Let me guess, moving too much?” Nick nodded before Yang swiped her sister from his arms. “Thanks, I’ll be hogging Ruby’s scroll until Group Three’s update comes in. They are set to launch in fifteen minutes.”

“We might show up if we want to watch and observe, but we might not be one hundred percent up for it,” Grace said but the implication was clear.

“Fair enough,” Yang said, about to shut the door, but another voice piped up.

“Wait!”

All eyes turned to Blake, who looked very embarrassed right about now. Her right hand went to her left elbow and held it close to her body. “Could I speak with you, Nick? Alone?”

There was a time and a place for teasing, and normally, Nick would have made a joke about it. However, this was not one of those times.

“Sure,” Nick said simply.

Tera almost shouted, but thankfully kept her voice low before hissing out, “You normally make a joke about that.”

Nick’s eyes hardened, “Time and place, Tera. This has to do with my past, isn’t that right?” Blake nodded. “Then let’s go.” The two of them walked away, leaving  _ RWY  _ and  _ GRT _ behind.

Grace gently added, “You’re going to apologize to him later.”

Tera groaned, “Wǒ zhīdào, that was insensitive of me. Seems like my streak goes back to zero.”

“Streak?” Weiss asked from the background, being the curious Atleasian she was. Tera flushed in embarrassment and that made Weiss raise a singular ivory eyebrow. 

Grace elected to cover for her teammate, “How many days she goes without making an offensive or rude comment. To be fair, the last one she made was over two years ago and that was because of Cardin. However, Tera, you know Nick doesn’t just share that with anyone.”

Tera only nodded, “Wǒ zhīdào,” she repeated.

Weiss was still curious, “What do you mean by  _ that _ ?”

“No offense, Ice Queen, but that’s a  _ GRNT _ thing, and by extension a Ruby and myself thing,” Yang cut in.

Weiss huffed, “I’m only curious.”

Tera eased the unspoken concern, “He’s not going to bad mouth you, but I am surprised you are interested in knowing.”

Weiss caught on and narrowed her eyes, “I’m not my family.”

Tera shot her the same look, “Oh, I know that and Nick knows that. This is between him and Blake now.”

* * *

“Do me a favor and get to the point, please,” Nick said after Blake led them to the gardens, not by the courtyard, but by the dorms.

“Why-How did-” Blake started, eyes frantically searching Nick’s.

“It was a miracle that I even lived that day. I honestly think that my parents were out to kill me, as some sort of sacrifice, when the day was over. So when they got killed, I spared no tears for them. My parents were the scum of Remnant, and I haven't gone to visit them since,” Nick replied coolly. He didn’t raise his voice, his tone sounded dead, like his parents.

“How can-”

“How can I say that, Blake? They abused me for three years,” Nick stated. He held up a cracked scale on his arm, the scar tissue underneath uneven, “You think this was because my parents loved me? Fuck no, they loathed my very existence. They peeled my scale off my arm with me wide awake. You’d think I’d have some issues with people touching me, and I do, but I only let those I can trust. Ray would rather take my pain. Tera will beat a bitch if it came down to it, and Grace wouldn’t even talk to them. Honestly, she’s the most sensible one of us.”

Blake starred in abstract horror, “I… hate to ask, but do you remember what was said that day?”

Nick shook his head, “No I don’t. I barely remember what  _ I _ even said after my parents died. I don’t particularly care.”

“So, how did you survive?” Blake asked, having finally broken eye contact.

“Ray,” Nick said, like it answered all of the world’s problems, “That and Ms. Wynn, the local Vale librarian.” The cobra bumped his shoulder lightly against the Cat Faunus, “You might be surprised at how nice humans are. Just do yourself a favor, Blake.” He paused as she looked at him again. “Don’t let them find out on the fly, it won’t do you any good, but I’d understand if you didn’t. I mean, you have a Schnee as a teammate.”

“Well, according to Tera… she’s not so bad,” the Cat Faunus said, holding one elbow with her other hand.

“Then do yourself that favor and let her prove that she is different. Now come on, wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea of me staying out here with you so long,” Nick’s teasing grin came back.

“In your dreams,” Blake hesitantly teased back.

* * *

A notification went off grabbing the attention of  _ PLTN’s  _ leader. He stopped what he was doing and pulled out his scroll. Needless to say, the message hit him as he winced slightly. 

**_Team PLTN, meet outside the amphitheater as quickly as possible; it appears that we will need to recover bodies again. Prepare your gear._ **

Pearce sent the text out to his team and stood up. He grabbed his medical backpack then grabbed his rifle, loaded it then swung it over his shoulder, and promptly made his way to the amphitheater.

Nella and Tavis had decided to take a walk around the school, mainly Nella did the images of had transpired earlier were still fresh in her mind so she had decided that walk might do her some good. Tavis had decided to follow simply because he knew his sister might need the company. Both of them said nothing as they walked the company of one another was enough for both siblings. Tavis stopped as he felt his scroll go off then Nella’s scroll went off shortly after.

“Well, it looks like we are back on body duty again,” Tavis commented, making Nella tense up again. 

“What, again? I was hoping to be done with that,” Nella sighed.

“I know but Pearce just told us that we will have to so let’s make our way back to the amphitheater. Alright?” Tavis said as he softly patted his younger sister on the back as they made their way to the amphitheater. 

Lavender, who was already inside the amphitheater, felt her scroll go off after checking the message. She looked down at the main floor. Lavender had immediately moved to the amphitheater to see if she could catch the last of the new teams being put together. But when she got there it was empty so she went inside and went up to the balcony and had sat down.

“Enjoying the quiet Ms. Forge?” A voice called out to her. 

Lavender opened her eyes to see Ozpin standing on the stage below her. Lavender simply nodded in response. Ozpin smiled and nodded back as he made his way up to Lavender. 

“So Ms. Forge, what do you think of this year's new students so far?” Ozpin asked as he took a sip from his mug.

“They survived so I guess that’s a start for them,” Lavender responded coldly as she shrugged. 

“Well, I will tell you there are two teams that might pique your interest.” The comment grabbed Lavender’s attention as she looked up at Ozpin with a puzzled look. “ _ RWBY _ and  _ GRNT _ . You should talk to them later.”

Lavender looked back down at the amphitheater as some students had started to arrive. “I’ll ask them if I get the chance I guess.”

“Two individuals out of those teams will certainly catch your eye,” Ozpin said, and there was some sort of double meaning there, wasn’t there?

Ozpin nodded as he left her shortly after she got a notification on her scroll from Pearce asking to meet them down on the ground floor. So she made her way down to her team. Team  _ PLTN _ had taken a position right in front of the stage. Once Lavender arrived she looked at Pearce, then at Tavis, and then finally Nella. Judging by the sad look on Nella’s face, Lavender looked at Pearce. “No one made it back didn’t they?” Lavender said. Pearce was slightly surprised that she knew this but nodded in acknowledgment. The entire Team turned to face all the other teams that were now starting to slowly trickle into the amphitheater. Some looked more worried than others, but there seemed to be a lot of general unrest. 

Which soon proved to be the case, “Looks like a lot of them know already or at least think they know what’s going on.” Pearce used his semblance to read the entire room. He could feel the uneasy feeling most of the first group and the third group had. The leader’s focus went to two groups, who stood mostly by each other. One looked much more confused than the rest, and to Pearce, he already knew who this was. The prodigy.

Ozpin certainly has some plans regarding Team  _ RWBY _ . Then, Pearce noticed the other team of interest,  _ GRNT _ . Two silver-eyed children in the same year, different teams. The odds of that were slim to none. Scratch that, that should be impossible. Silver eyed warriors have not been seen in years, not since… the pieces clicked for  _ PLTN’s _ leader. “Dust, she’s hers… well, I’ll be damned.”

“What was that, Pearce?” Nella asked, looking over with her ears perked.

Pearce waved it off, “Nothing important, just musing.” Oh, he certainly was musing. He will definitely be keeping tabs on their progress because this should be an interesting year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like the fourth wall break, a reference to a certain channel that lives off of satire?
> 
> Mistralian (Chinese) Translations
> 
> Wǒ zhīdào = I know


	18. Unexpected Bombshell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight, aftermath, classes, and other various shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back. Apologies for the gap in updates, but we had a reason. This is 10,190 words. Back to back (in a sense) chapters, so this is really us working to tell a story. We mentioned that this was ambitious, and we meant it.
> 
> We have a long way to go yet.

Most would think that by the 12 hours of running through a Grimm-infested forest you would be absolutely exhausted. 

_ If you were a normal person. _

Beo was not exhausted, he was enraged; He had hunted down the biggest Grimm there and instead of the other Grimm scattering to save their own hides. They get riled up, murder happy, and hard to find; killing other students just added on to his rage. The trees to his right moved, Beo pulled  _ Calm,  _ firing the last 4 rounds, murdering two Beowolves as he continued his silent trek back to the landing area.

Reaching the edge of the landing zone, Beo looks down at his flare holster, only to find he has 3 full holsters,  **_‘Well what are we going to do with all these flares?’_ ** Wulf is always there with the obvious questions, which at the same time were important questions to ask.

Beo’s first thought was not, ‘hmm, why would I need to do something?’ His response was,  _ ‘Fuck we should get rid of these extra flares, someone might suspect we murdered all of group 2.’  _ A reasonable thought, for a monster, which he is.

Wulf being the Grimm that he is, fires off with no filter,  **_‘Who is here to say we did though? Oh, wait… No-one, alive that is.’_ ** Dark laughter follows suit.

There is a quiet huff and a pinning back of ears, as Beo rubs the bridge of his nose, trying to contain his laughter and keep an eye on the landing area. Wulf had a dark sense of humor and by extension Beo so, jokes like that were commonplace in his head. There is some chatter from the 18 or so people he can see in and around the ship but clearly, no one is focusing on the forest around them. Knowing that not a soul is going to notice the rustle of objects, Beo unbuckles the two bloodied flare holders and tosses one to his left in the middle of the trail, as a diversionary trap. The second one he drops into the bucket where other flare packs have been dropped as he walks to the airship.

The man at the airship’s door spots him, deciding to strike up a conversation, “You survived hell, congratulations.” 

The unimpressed look that Beo sends the man doesn’t quite convey the message that he had hoped to send. Instead of:  _ You call this hell? Really?  _ What the man thought his look said was:  _ The fuck?  _ Saying, “Well the second group was killed, every. Last. One of ‘em. So, you my Faunus friend made it through hell.”

Apparently, Beo did not do a good job of hiding his displeasure at being called ‘friend’ because the man’s tone quickly shifted, “Look you damn dog. You should be glad you survived! A lot of families have to bury their kids now.”

Beo’s lip curled up in anger at this,  _ ‘Oh No, Parents have to bury their kids who signed up for a dangerous career. I had to bury my parents at the age of 3 BY MYSELF.’  _ A snarl rips free of his throat, only to be drowned out by two fearful screams. Turning he sees two students running out of the tree line, bleeding from multiple injuries with two Ursas chasing them down. 

Beo draws the ivory-colored  _ Calm  _ and drops the empty magazine, placing it into his belt. Pulling one of the 2 incendiary High Explosive magazines from their holders, Beo reloads  _ Calm.  _ Flicking the slide-lock down, the pistol loads one of the 11, 500 S&R rounds into the chamber as he takes aim at the trap he had left on the trail. The first shot does the job, igniting the unused flares in the pack with a deafening bang and blinding flash. Raising an arm to protect his eyes from the bright light of the lit flares, Beo advances past the stunned and injured students on the ground. Taking aim he fires one round into the blinded Ursa on his left, blowing its right forearm to pieces. With zero regards or care for who sees, he kicks the now wounded creature into a tree and executes it with a single shot to the head, painting the tree black. 

The other Ursa has now recovered, taking a step backward. Only to break a stick, alerting Beo to its recovery. 

He decides that he needs to burn off some of his rage the old fashion way, a brawl. Holstering his weapon he sprints towards the escaping Ursa Major, slamming it through a tree into the landing zone. Disoriented, the bear-like Grimm bellows out a roar startling the awe and fear-struck students into action. Four students pull the injured to the airship, while others ready their weapons to assist. Beo knows he will not need the help and his eyes turning red answered the roar with a howl that promises death charging the angered Grimm. The Ursa swung with a large paw intending to take its foe out with a single swipe. This foe was not an ordinary student however, Beowulf had fought dozens of Ursas both as a Faunus and as a Grimm. They were brutes, relying on strength and weight more than skill. Beo knew that made them easy to trick, but he had no patience to toy with this Grimm. Dodging underneath the bear claw swiped at him he hits it with an uppercut to the jaw with enough force to send it a few steps back, continuing his assault he hits the Grimm with a barrage of fast punches that shatter its rib cage like a jackhammer through the glass. With its rib cage destroyed the Ursa coughs up a black blood-like substance, much like what was painted all over the tree, stumbling back into another tree at the edge of the clearing. The Grimm only had seconds to recover before being taken off its feet by a reverse roundhouse kick to the head. 

**_‘You really going to keep killing this thing slowly?’_ ** Asked Wulf, impressed at the acrobatic display, but equality frustrated at how slow Beo was killing this admittedly average-sized Ursa Major.

Beo knew what he wanted though,  _ ‘No, just wanted it wounded enough that I can show these rookies how you gut these things.’ _ With the Ursa on the ground, he steps onto it, taking hold of its jaws, and starts pulling. It lets out a strangled roar as he forcibly and violently removes its lower jaw, tossing the bloody dismembered body part aside. Pulling out his Tanto  _ Blue-fang  _ Beo slices into the Grimm’s soft underside blood spilling all over as he disembowels the creature, ending its life shortly after. Standing in the carnage of his kill Beo hears a couple of students lose their appetite and lunch. 

"That was, unneeded. You ready to go home, killer?" said what Beo now realized was probably an upperclassman. 

Giving him a nod, Beo entered the airship, other students scrambled to the edge of the cabin as he passed by. Who could blame them? He looked like a murderous traveler, who just slaughtered his last fair. As the third-year reboarded, having collected the box of flares the airship lifted off. 

Beowulf picked a spot at the back of the craft away from everyone else so he could observe undisturbed. He saw a handful of people, who looked unscathed,  **_'Strange.'_ **

Beo agreed with Wulf it was strange, especially when they both considered that over half of the students looked like they had gotten into fights. Not counting the two he had saved, none of them looked like they needed immediate help. At this point, it wasn’t any concern to either of them,  **_‘We really should check on those two we saved, they barely made it out of that place with their lives.’_ **

Beowulf was a complicated individual, at times he hated all of humanity and at other times he couldn’t leave individuals to die. Pushing off the window the jackal Faunus made his way over to the two gurneys where both injured students were situated. The male was sleeping, the female was looking out the window watching the forest pass her by. Beo reached out a clawed hand and gently tapped the non-observing girl on the shoulder. 

She was clearly startled, jolting in her bed and she turned to see what wanted her attention. Seeing the Faunus who saved her and her partner, a smile graces her face, “Oh, it’s you! I cannot thank you enough for saving us.”

Beo nods with a smile, fang poking out. He did not know how she knew that he saved her, but at the end of the day he was glad she was okay. 

Her gaze was curious as they both sat there silently, “Don’t really talk much do you?” A nod, “Nervous?”A shake, “Don’t talk to girls much?” A shrug, and a quiet giggle, “Well, why not?” 

At that, Beo considered if he should tell this complete stranger, who didn’t know him at all, why he couldn’t speak. It was personal to him and Wulf, it wouldn’t help him keep a low profile either. Shrugging as if he was saying, I don’t know. Hopefully, that would satisfy her curiosity. 

Luckily for the jackal, she decided that answer was good enough, “Well I am going to try and take a nap. Thank you for checking on me and my partner.”

As the composed Faunus walked back to his spot he listened to the chatter around him, “Did you see how he killed those two Ursas? He had no mercy.” 

“No mercy? I heard he killed them with his bare hands. If he could strangle Ursas with his bare hands I really don’t want to fight him at all!”

The last one he listened to was the best, “I heard he drank the Ursa’s blood from its throat. Like a vampire.”

Beo could hear Wulf cackling in his head,  **_‘They really think we are a fucking vampire? Hahahaha! What a bunch of fucking loons.’_ ** Beo smirked, as the pilot relayed that they were closing into Beacon, he pulled the chess piece from his coat. An ebony knight, what it meant for his placement he and Wulf had no clue. Ozpin had not been very forthcoming with what the artifacts were or meant when he found Beowulf that morning. Pushing off the bulkhead, he dropped the artifact into his pocket as the airship descended. He made his way to the door now anxious to get off of the ship, when it opened the last thing he expected to see was Ozpin and Goodwitch and Goodwitch did not look happy to see him.

**_‘What the hell is her problem now?’_ ** Beo did not have the slightest clue what her problem was, nor did he have time to contemplate as she harshly barked out an order to show his relic. Beo reached into his pocket and pulled out the black knight, flicking it into the air and letting it fall before swiping it out of the air in front of him, holding out in front of himself for the professor to see. 

The assistant Headmistress sighed in exasperation, “Honestly, you should’ve been back after the first group. Ozpin, please enlighten me as to why you allowed him to stay out there for an entire day?”

Ozpin sipped from his mug, “Because, he was useful in helping clear out the problem from the first and second groups, and it allowed him to roam free, am I right?” The Headmaster’s eyes, however, were searching for more pertinent information.

There was a hum of acknowledgment from Wulf at the Headmaster’s gaze and Beo quickly figured out the question he silently asked:  _ “How many students did you kill?” _ Snorting he locked eyes with Ozpin, shrugging as if to say: “ _ Of course I killed other students, as to how many? Not sure at the moment, I’ll tell ya later.”  _

The white-haired man nodded before speaking up, “Make your way to the training halls Beowulf. Don’t relax.” A nod is all Beowulf gives the headmaster as he made his way to the training halls.

* * *

When everyone in Groups One and Three got a message to go to the training hall, all of their instincts were dialed up to eleven. Something wasn’t right, and they were cautious. As they should be.

Ray had woken up from a nap to that very message and groaned silently at having to move. He thinks that aggravating his ribs at this time was a bad idea. Thankfully, Tera entered the room, “They volunteered me to come to get you, lazy bones,” she teased with a smirk.

‘Haha. Now help me up, please,’ Ray rolled his eyes.

“Soon enough, we can move you into a retirement home where we can get all the pretty nurses to-” Tera was cut off as Ray ruffled her hair as she was close enough to do so.

‘That means you care, Tera,’ he signed with a grin. ‘I am also injured so please do not injure me further, otherwise, a certain blonde might just find out.’

Tera paled for a moment, “Anything but the Yang treatment.”

‘No, I would never do that to you. I care about you too much,’ Ray said honestly.

The Mistralian assisted the silver-eyed boy out of his bed and out the door. Once they reached outside, Grace and Nick were waiting for them. “What took you ssso long, ssslowpoke?”

They didn’t respond, merely rolling their eyes as they walked by. At that point,  _ RWBY _ and  _ JNPR _ were more confused at this. “Why are we going to the training halls now?” Blake asked.

“Hopefully, not for a surprise combat test, I’d hope they wouldn’t push us that far yet,” Yang replied, a pensive look on her face.

“That would be a bad idea,” Tera said.

What no one noticed is the look that Grace and Ray sent each other. They had an inkling of what this was about. However, they chose to keep it to themselves. That would only incite panic, and right now, they were all trying to recover from today. They did not need any more emotional or mental stress.

“How long do you think this will take?” Grace asked, as to insert herself into the conversation and not draw suspicion to her or Ray.

“Half hour, maybe an hour? After that, it’s lights out for me,” Weiss said, clearly irritated.

Safe to say, when they arrived at the training hall, the entire student body was in for a classic case of shock and awe.

* * *

Beowulf heard the footsteps of Groups One and Three as they made their way inside. Ozpin’s suggestion to not relax put all of his instincts on edge, he was planning something and it involved the hybrid. As his claws cut into the nylon, sand poured out of the now-destroyed bag, Beo shook his hand before kicking the bag away. Beo looked down at his hands, they were turning into the claws that Wulf’s Grimm form had,  **_‘Why is this happening?’_ ** Beo shook his head, he did not know why his hands were not changing back to the normal white skin, but it did not make a difference right now, there were too many people who could see his hands. Seeing a pair of gloves next to the shredded punching bag he snatched them up and hid his hands under the borrowed gloves.

The training hall had the main arena in the center with seating on a higher platform. Hard light Dust powered the barrier, so there are no person-sized indents in the wall. Because there would be if the Dust didn’t exist.

The chatter got louder as more students piled into the hail, clearly just as clueless as he was. Asking others if they knew what was going on, only to get the same answer, no. Beo and Wulf saw Ozpin’s rigid posture as he entered the room standing before everyone. Something was going to go down and Ozpin was clearly nervous about the outcome. “You may be wondering why I have called you all in here.”

A couple of the students shouted, “That would be nice to know!”

“Simply put, we have a student of great potential and I found this to be a teachable moment,” Ozpin said, taking a sip of his mug. “Not to say there isn’t potential, but I believe you will find this particular student interesting.”

All of  _ GRNT _ ,  _ RWBY _ , and  _ JNPR _ shared looks of confusion. Pyrrha didn’t seem to mind not being the center of attention. To her, it was quite the welcome relief, having been placed on a pedestal all her life. Grace and Ray’s feeling of where this was going was reaching a fever pitch.

Grace murmured to herself, “This is going to end badly.” Only Nick, Blake, and Ray—since he was right next to her—heard her.

Ozpin continued as he started this, “What you see here today is not to leave this place. You are forbidden from speaking about this unless it is to other classmates. Your families and other citizens of the Kingdom are not allowed to know. If such an act is committed, then you best rely on your training.”

That sent a shiver down everyone’s spine, even team  _ RWBY’s.  _ Ruby was seemingly the only one who was unaffected, more interested in what was going to happen. There were whispers of wondering what Professor Ozpin was saying or implying.

“Beowulf, will you please come on out?” Ozpin asked, which confused everyone, but once he revealed himself, Nick watched as he entered the arena and saw those eyes. Nick froze, as this was the same presence he felt on the first day here. 

He nudged Ray, “Remember the first day here?” Ray nodded. “That’sss him.” His silver eyes narrowed. Was this the same feeling he felt only two days ago? Thinking back, Ray observed inquisitively at the person who just entered.

Grace seemed to make the same connection, “You don’t think…” he nodded once more. “Oh, this is going to go terribly.” She scooted closer to Ray and linked an arm with him, clutching to him.

Beowulf felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, Wulf felt it too, someone dangerous was looking at them. Looking over his shoulder he saw the same two individuals that aura pinged him 2 days ago, his purple eyes narrowed as his ears dropped back. 

**_‘I say if Oz wants a show, then let us give him one.’_ ** A rumbling laugh made its way out of Beo, frightening those close to him. 

Nick made a quick assessment, “Yeah, ssso… he’s dangerous and someone no one should fuck with.”

‘Agreed,’ Ray said, having his feelings confirmed. He knows who this is, and what he is. That can only spell trouble for what comes next.

Professor Ozpin continued, “I do hate having to ask this, but Miss Nikos, would you kindly enter the arena?”

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, but nodded and left to retrieve her weapons. Jaune was understandably worried and expressed that. Nora and Ren, however, were two sides of the same coin. Nora shouted, “Kick his butt, Pyrrha.”

“Good luck, Pyrrha,” Ren said stoically.

While everyone wished her luck, she spread her aura out to ‘feel the area’ per se. It was routine for her before every fight. She paused when she felt Beowulf’s aura or lack thereof. That gave her pause. Just what was she getting into?

As Pyrrha came back and made her way to the ring Beo walked over to the wall where a sound system was  _ conveniently _ hooked up. When he got to the sound system he signed to the Professor, ‘Mind if I play a little something?’ 

For those who didn’t know Atleasian sign language, it didn’t seem like anything. However, for the handful of people who did, it was definitely a shock to most. Moreover, Ray was actually beaming because someone else besides the people he knows  _ knows _ sign language.

The Headmaster laughed, “No, not at all… as long as it isn’t death metal.” 

Beo grinned, hitting play on his scroll, he dropped it and his now removed long coat into a pile on the floor and stepped into the ring. 

**(** **_Start song: Kai Tangata - Alien Weaponry)_ **

As the tribal-like music started, the individual that stood before Pyrrha was not an amateur by any means. The person in front of her was a veteran of combat. Each scar showed the battle, and each battle told a story. But, as she locked eyes with him, she did not see a warrior. She saw a monster restrained by a cage but just barely, and deep down it scared her.

Standing in his preferred stance, Beo waited for the headmaster to start the match, he saw that this “Pyrrha” used a spear and shield. An interesting choice of weapons, but he felt no need to use any of his bladed weapons just yet, needless to say, he wanted her to be surprised. 

Pyrrha expected him to pull out a weapon, maybe the two guns at his waist, but he made no move to even reach for them. It was unnerving, almost like she was in the ring with an animal. Then Ozpin yelled out, “Begin!” 

Said animal closed the distance the moment the headmaster yelled begin, successfully putting her on defense as she brought up the shield to block whatever the hybrid was going to hit her with. He felt her surprise when he impacted and threw her into the dust barrier with his sudden shoulder barrage.  _ ‘Good.’ _ He thought, she hadn’t fought his main style which meant he did not need  _ Blue-Fang  _ or  _ Nightfall  _ yet.

As Pyrrha tried to banish the dizziness from being thrown so violently into the barrier, something dawned on her: he hadn’t even hit her with his fist. That hit was just how fast he moved, this fight was going to be dangerous, for her. Spinning her spear,  _ Milo _ converted into its rifle form as she took aim at her opponent and fired off four rounds.

Beo acrobatically dodged 3 of the rounds before the fourth slammed into his shoulder. His black blood sprayed all over the barrier, there were multiple screams from the audience. As soon as it hit the barrier it boiled and sizzled out of existence violently. He felt the wound seal up almost immediately,  _ ‘They did not give her dust rounds, that is good for her, otherwise, we would have had to end this fun early.’  _ However, that dust barrier was dangerous, so he had to stay away from that.

The redhead stood there in shock, she had just wounded someone and he stood in front of her as if it had never happened,  _ “What in Remnant am I fighting?”  _ Shaking her head, she closed the distance with  _ Milo _ in short-sword form and swung. Only for the sword to grind against something in her opponent’s gloves and deflect away from him. Spinning to keep the momentum from her strike she moved away.

With a snarl, Beo ripped away the now useless gloves, his monstrous hands now in open for everyone to see. Just because the gloves were off, it did not mean he had to pull  _ Nightfall _ out just yet. Howling like a wolf he lunged at the female, for every claw mark and bleeding cut he landed on her she returned twice as many cuts and gashes. Their grapple ended when she pushed him away covered in the same black blood that had hit the barrier. Beo had to admit she was skilled, but she was getting tired, he could hear her heavy breathing. 

“Is he keeping up with her?” A student said. Ray narrowed his eyes yet again. Casting a glance at Nick, he was thinking the same thing. Grace’s hands clenched tighter to his arm. Meanwhile, Professor Ozpin was watching with a steel gaze, scouting for every last juicy detail.

_ RWBY _ seemed floored at the performance, but Weiss was watching with… stars in her eyes? Surely not. Tera gently poked the Heiress’s shoulder to get her to focus. Blake was the first to notice something off, “Is that color of blood normal?”

The eleven students all cast a look at the wall, where, sure enough, there was black blood coating the hard light barrier. It seemed to be dripping from this ‘Beowulf’. Ray shrugged Grace’s arms off, before gently letting her grasp onto Nick, while he teleported to Ozpin, right next to him. ‘{You know something.}’

“A pleasant surprise, isn’t it, Mr. O’Connor?” the Headmaster seemed unfazed, but shifted his gaze to the silver-eyed boy.

‘You know something,’ Ray stated as a fact, not as a question. ‘Well, looks like I can collect on a bet.’ A single chuckle escaped the Headmaster. ‘He is Grimm, is he not?’

The Headmaster did not respond, giving Ray his answer. One would think he would be flipping out, but instead, he’s curious. The dark aura that Beowulf gives off screams out; as to what it screams out for is uncertain.

“Keep watching, Mr. O’Connor. You’ll find that he is a special case.”

Ray rolled his eyes before returning to his seat. Grace immediately cast a look at him. Ray nodded, to which Grace turned back to the fight with horrified eyes. Her only thought was:  _ Pyrrha’s in danger,  _ real _ danger. _

From his position on the floor, The jackal saw and felt all the injuries linger as they dripped blood onto the floor slowly healing. He heard the metal of her weapon sing through the air as she pointed it at him and advanced on him. 

Then she spoke, “Yield, and this ends. You have fought well but you are injured.” 

Her tone was almost caring yet hard. Wulf helped temporarily shift his vocal cords so he could speak as he did earlier in the day, and he responded,  **“Yield? I do not know what yielding is and even if I did. I am not wounded Red.”** Beo stood back up to his full 5’9’’ height and continued as he reached his back,  **“We have not even begun to fight, you have just forced me to draw my blade.”** Almost like he was reaching into the veil, a black mist appeared on his back in the shape of a sword. As he grasped the handle,  _ Nightfall  _ snapped into existence becoming solid. 

Shock gripped every student’s body like a vice. That voice was not human. It was dark, sinister, full of empty promises. Some even made the comment of a ‘soul sucker’. Ironic, Beowulf doesn’t eat souls, he eats hearts.

Pyrrha felt a shiver crawl up her spine at the sight of his weapon, it was clear that the weapon was unnatural in nature. Not only because it seemed to absorb the light that hit it, but the blade had unidentifiable runes and markings that in all her studies she had never seen before.

Beowulf was happy to draw his blade, it meant she was actually a challenge that deserved his attention. The grin that broke out on his face must have been sinister, given the tremor that just shook the green-eyed girl’s body,  **“Now this fight truly begins Pyrrha!”**

This declaration freaked everyone out, all sorts of emotions were flying high. From concern to fear to even nonchalance. The latter was mostly by a select few.

Yet again the two fighters collided, this time Beo had her on the offensive, each swing and thrust deflected or parried by the ancient Claymore. He had to admit if he had been anyone else this fight would have been over a while ago. Her blade moved strangely when she struck out at him, almost as if it was possessed and moved on its own. He did not have an explanation for it nor did he need one at the moment, as he deflected the spear into the air. He had enough of being on the defensive, planting the sword into the ground he launched himself into the air, kicking the spear back at her. 

She had seen a lot of things in the academy but someone kicking her spear back at her, was definitely new. The shield deflected the spear but she did not expect Beowulf to land on her shield as well. Once again she is launched into the barrier, this time she felt her aura crack, hard. 

Pyrrha’s scream was not surprising, Beo had actually used some force when he sent her into the wall, he wanted it to hurt. He felt his claws sharpen as Wulf pushed out wanting his turn in the light,  _ ‘I suppose we have stalled long enough. Have we not?’  _ There was a howl in his mind,  **_‘My Turn!’_ ** Deciding he wanted to make a spectacle of his shift, Beo dropped to his knees as he felt Wulf take over. 

Someone in the stands laughed out, “Ha look at that idiot! Wasted all of his strength trying to take out the best of us.”

Nick raised his voice, “Don’t count either of them out.”

The aura in the air was shifting, as was the person in the middle. Grace had already figured it out, who this was. It didn’t help that she watched as the purple eyes transformed into a cobalt blue. The  _ same _ cobalt blue that she and Ray saw in their initiation. “Ray?”

‘I know.’

This interaction caught the attention of Tera and Nick, “What aren’t you telling us?”

“Remember that friendly Grimm we saw? Heh, that’s him,” Grace pointed lazily to the center arena.

“Ex- _ fucking _ -cuse me?” Nick shouted. Tera was gobsmacked, eyes glancing back and forth, double-take after double-take. 

Yang happened to be listening, “ _ This _ is the person— _ thing _ —that you saw today?!”

Grace and Ray nodded, “Yeah, he was not concerned with us, but now I’m left to wonder why…”

‘Professor Ozpin basically confirmed it, without outright saying it. He allowed this, and I think he wanted us to see this for a reason. As for what that reason is, it is out of my comprehension,’ Ray supplied. Granted, he was inferring the latter half of this, but the former… that’s true.

With a deafening roar a 9 ft Grimm took the place of the shorter jackal,  **“This,** **_thing_ ** **is tired of playing your fucking game!”** Placing one clawed hand on the ground, Wulf locked eyes with Pyrrha,  **“Now, Miss Red let us see if your aura is as strong as the rumors say it is.”**

Pyrrha knew she was in trouble, this creature was ready to brawl and her aura was damaged. She had to be careful, or it could be her on the floor next. As she tightened her grip on her shield the Grimm dug his claws into the ground reading for a lunge.

Beo spoke up from his mental backseat,  _ ‘Please do not kill her. She has shown us respect, it would be a shame to snuff her out.’  _ A snort was all that Wulf gave him before pouncing at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha threw  _ Akouo  _ at the Grimm flying with the intent to stun him. Only for the shield to be caught in between his razor-sharp teeth and thrown aside like a frisbee.

Landing in front of the now semi-disarmed red-head Wulf landed multiple clawed blows on her aura. Wulf wanted to pin her to the barrier to see if the Dust in the barrier would do something to her Aura, it was a long shot but he had to try. Grabbing Pyrrha by the head he pins her to the barrier, he feels the dust burning at his hide. His opponent was straining against the barrier and his iron grip, he could only hold her against the barrier for a few seconds longer before it burned down to his bones. The Grimm throws her to the other side of the area, as she rolls he stands to his full nine-foot height letting his hand heal from the Dust burns. 

Pyrrha was disoriented, she had never faced a Grimm this fearsome before.  _ None of my training could prepare for this.  _ She looked down at her hands and found they were shaking.  _ Is this fear? _ Standing up on shaky legs, she called back  _ Milo _ and  _ Akouo _ as they slotted themselves back onto her wrists. Her tiara was slightly out of place, but she still stared Beowulf down with determination as he stalked toward her.

Pulling  _ Nightfall _ from its spot Wulf shifted it into its Scythe form and brought it to bear against her throat,  **“I must admit Pyrrha, You have a fighting spirit and determination about you that is rare. Do not lose it. Least you become the Monster that stands before you now. We have seen the worst that your kind can do.”**

Pyrrha took a deep breath, “I appreciate the compliment. I can see that you have years of experience backing you. Your style comes off as wild, but there is a craft to it. You tame that side and use it to its full advantage. I see us dueling more often, and there are some things I can learn from this and in the future.”

The Grimm seemed to pause and contemplate for just a moment,  **“Pray you never face us with the intention to harm… We will not hesitate to kill be it you...”** He paused and glanced at Ozpin,  **“...Or those who would seek to use us as a weapon.”** Wulf spun the scythe and morphed it back into the claymore before holstering it where it vanished into mist yet again. Wulf had had his fill of the spotlight, he relinquished control back to Beo, who shifted back to his Faunus form.

Everyone in the stands was watching in complete and utter  _ silence. _ No one spoke as they were all too engorged in the battle before them. It is no longer classified as a spar but like a miniature war. Pyrrha represents Humanity while Beowulf represents the Grimm. Ironic as it is, Professor Ozpin finally stepped in, “That is enough.” The brown eyes of the Headmaster overlooked all of the first-year students. “I do hope you have learned something from this. I do not expect any of you to accept this, but whether you like it or not, Beowulf is a student here and will be treated as such.” Some of those words were pointed directly at Cardin, who watched with a sneer on his face.

Professor Ozpin has heard of his less than reputable ideals for Faunus. If Cardin was intelligent, which he has proven that he is not, he will steer clear of Beo. As for  _ GRNT _ , Ray and Grace shared another look that expressed their luck. Had Beo even used a fraction of those moves on them, well… they might have been part of that casualty list.

Nick spoke for most, “Do not  _ ever _ fuck with him. Approach at your own risk.  _ Not that that isss going to ssstop me _ .”

“I don’t know how to feel with that statement,” Tera remarked, a shiver visibly racking her body. “So, who’s not going to sleep tonight?”

“Yo.” Multiple voices chorused with Ray tilting his head slightly. To be honest, he was interested in Beowulf, but not for the reason one might think. Honestly, he just wanted to know why he didn’t attack him and Grace.

While the answer should be obvious, he felt like there was a secondary reason. No doubt Beo could feel Ray’s gaze on him, as the silver-eyed boy wasn’t hiding it. Out of a sheer guess, did Ray think he could feel the curiosity rolling off him? Casting a side glance at Ozpin, he found out that he was looking right at him;  _ like he expected this. _

That man certainly is crafty, Ray had to admit.

Beo heard the storm moving in as he donned his coat after he stopped the music. A storm was good, gave him time to think, to remember, and no-one would be stupid enough to follow him into the rain. Beo quickly made his way to the exit and stepped out into the pouring rain. Sitting down on one of the benches beside the door he looked up as lightning arced through the sky.

**_“I know what you are thinking.”_ ** Beo grinned despite the downpour, Wulf would always be there for him,  _ “What would she think of us? Of what we have become?” _

Wulf did not know how to answer, Beo’s mother had become an important person to him, even though he was a monster by all accounts. She loved him all the same; he would never get to know why she did, but he was glad she cared.

As luck would have it Beo had the answer this time,  _ “You know, I like to think that somewhere up there she is smiling down at us Wulf. Upset at the things that have happened to us but proud of the fact that we have survived this long.”  _ A tear trailed down his face. No one would know he shed a tear as it blended in with the rain. A perfect cover.

**_“You know, I think you’re right,”_ ** Wulf had nothing else to say because there was nothing else he  _ could _ say.

* * *

What no one noticed throughout the fight were two students from the second year sat up all the way in the back, out of sight. Pearce's gaze shifted from the 9 foot Grimm to Ozpin. His expression was one of confusion, “Ozpin, you are one odd Headmaster, I’ll give you that much.” He looked back at the Grimm and he closed his eyes and focused. This creature's intentions were quite honestly unsettling just like when he did the same to his other teammate. “Lavender.”

The small girl looked up at him. “Hm?”

“Do me a favor and watch this new person; learn how he fights,” Pearce said whilst keeping his eyes on the Grimm. 

“Why?” Lavender remarked.

“Call it a fail-safe if things go sideways, I guess. Plus, he makes me feel uneasy.” He said as he stood up the small girl stood up and followed him as they both exited the room.

* * *

The next day was quite odd. Still,  _ GRNT _ had adapted to the fact that Beowulf was half Grimm, in various ways. That, and those eyes, they were the same cobalt that Ray and Grace had seen. So to them, it was obvious. Ray never did follow Beowulf to ask his questions, but he figured they would eventually meet, even if he was avoiding him.

Tera asked all sorts of questions. Some, the former of  _ GRNT _ had answers to, while others were unknown to all of them. The Mistralian definitely had to take a day to cope with this, which would have to be tomorrow, it still wasn’t sinking in yet. Grace was understandably worried, but Ray let her know that not everyone was going to accept it right away, that it would take time for everyone to process what just happened. Nick was casual in this, having no other reactions than, ‘Do not fuck with that man or he will end you.’ His sentiment from yesterday still stood.

Everything was proceeding as normal as an alarm awoke the four of them. Grace moaned into her pillow, “Five more minutes.”

Ray and Nick were already up and dressed, they learned back in Patch that if they got up before the girls, they would have warm water. Their Beacon uniforms were pretty nice. For the boys, the black pants and black vest worked well. Paired with gold trimming alongside the gold buttons and the red tie. They fit really well together. Ray had to dissuade Nick from making it shorts and a t-shirt. “But why not?”

‘You can cover your scales, and I know how your pride works, but for the sake of not getting called into the office of Professor Ozpin, just wear it normally,’ Ray reasoned. Even so, Ray was prepared as he had ordered more for Nick, just in case he ever does defile the outfit.

Nick stepped over to the girl’s side of the room before taking a deep breath—Ray covered his ears—and yelled, “Get up before I shred the bed!”

That made Grace and Tera yelp before flailing out of their respective beds, “What the-”

“Class is in an hour, so get ready,” Nick said with a smirk.

Tera growled, moving some of her hair out of her line of vision, “I’ll get you back for this.”

Nick laughed, arms over his stomach, “You-You’d have t-t-to be up b-before I am.” Ray was hiding his mirth well, the only difference was the subtle twinkle in his eyes.

“Tera, he’s got you there,” Grace huffed before running her hand through her hair and wincing when her fingers caught a knot.

‘Better hurry,’ Ray gently rushed them.

“Dibs on the shower!” the girls said in unison. Then, they both flushed. Ray acted quickly as he covered Nick’s mouth with his hand. Still, Nick said what he wanted, but it was muffled. Nick loves to tease everyone about anything. The Cobra laughed more often when he was teasing, even if it was about himself.

Ray removed his hand, wiping it on Nick’s shoulder before signing, ‘Grace, go first. You take three minutes less than Tera.’

“You timed us?!” she shouted incredulously.

‘We got bored,’ Ray responded unapologetically.

“Also curious, plusss your uniformsss came in. I think you’ll like them,” Nick added, rolling his sleeves. He really didn’t like covering his scales, they defined him.

Tera and Grace shot a look over to their shared closet, seeing the uniforms. While they were the exact same having the same red and green plaid skirt, the gold-trimmed jacket and buttons, a brown sort of corset, with a white blouse, and to top it all off, a red ribbon to tie around their necks; Tera opted for the pantyhose whilst Grace did not.

Grace did not mind showing a little skin, but she always made sure the skirts she wore were a little bit lower than her knees or just at her kneecaps. The newly appointed leader grinned at the thought of wearing that cute outfit, maybe even seeing other girls in it as well. Then again, Ray and Nick do make the suits look good. She shook her head, now wasn’t the time for those thoughts. She disappeared into the bathroom as Tera slowly got her and Grace’s outfits out, made the beds, and got their beauty products out.

The boys watched in confused awe, all this for just a day? They should consider themselves lucky they don’t have to do this. “Why are you two so confused? We do this every day, why do you think it takes us forever to be ready?”

Nick had a remark for this, but he refrained, for once in his life. Ray just accepted it without question, as there was no need to question a girl’s daily routine.

“Oh,  _ now _ you’re silent. Báichī,” Tera said with an affectionate eye roll.

‘Excuse you, I have always been silent,’ Ray said in mock offense. His body language hopefully expressed his joking demeanor.

“You understand me though,” Tera quipped as Grace exited the bathroom with two towels wrapped around herself. Ray flushed before turning himself and Nick around and headed towards the door.

‘{We will wait outside,}’ Ray said. Nick tried to slip away, but Ray’s grip was absolute and he was serious.

“Ahh, you pure soul,” Grace teased lightly. “Tera, the bathroom’s yours.” She looked to the bed and saw her outfit laid out. The leader tapped her friend’s shoulder in a silent thanks.

“He gets embarrassed easily,” Tera said, shaking her head. “I pray for when he gets a girlfriend.”

“He’ll be much more confident, but cut him some slack, he was being respectful,” Grace said, having tossed away her towels and was dressed in her undergarments. Tera slipped into the bathroom while Grace continued to get dressed. Once Grace got ready, she opened the door, the boys were leaning against the wall, facing away. They both peered over their shoulders, “I’m decent and Tera took her clothes into the bathroom.”

Her makeup didn’t take long, but a quick touch of foundation and a little blush. Nothing too over the top, but enough that it wouldn’t be a hassle to take off later.

“Yeah, well, we won’t encroach on you two. After all, it was probably a great chance for you to take a-”

“One more word outta you, I’m taking you to the sparring rings,” Grace threatened, but it was empty coming from her, as she and Nick tie more often than not. All their spars from when they were kids proved that.

Nick raised his hands in defense, “No need, it is jussst hilariousss that you get all flustered when I-”

“What time is good for you?” Grace interrupted.

“Never mind,” Nick backtracked.

‘Foot in mouth, Nick,’ Ray snickered silently.

Grace turned her sharp charcoal gaze to him, “And no words coming from your hands either.” Ray nodded in confirmation but hid a smile. The boys shared a look, there were some definite feels going on.

Tera had exited the bathroom with her hair all over the place, so she dried off, grabbed the blow dryer, and quickly styled her hair into her normal style. Some of it covered her right eye but left enough room to move it easily. Still, Grace preferred her hair outside of a braid, but hopefully, she’ll find it was easier to keep it tied up. Another thing that the boys will never understand. She quickly put her outfit on and slid on her pantyhose last before rummaging through her closet to find the shoes she wanted. Normally, she wears high-top sneakers or boots when needed, but neither one of those would work before she paused… or would they?

The door opened up and Tera waltzed out with a smile on her face, “So, are we off to breakfast?”

The three still outside the room looked at Tera’s shoes, did she always have those?

It didn’t matter, they fit with her getup, the goth boots actually worked very well, and Grace found herself eyeing her teammate. She quickly shook it off as Nick called for her.

* * *

Breakfast was quick and easy, each member of  _ GRNT _ sitting down at a table, Ray and Grace on one side, Nick and Tera on the other. The four of them were going about their days, given the circumstances. The rumors have been passed around the first and second-year students, and that left the upperclassmen confused and curious, a deadly combination for Huntsmen-in-training. Considering Ozpin’s veiled threat, it was best kept that way.

“So, what’s our class schedule like?” Tera asked. She prided herself on getting ahead of the game. She  _ was _ Valedictorian at Signal after all.

‘Well, we have Doctor Oobleck at around one {PM}, and we have Professor Port at nine, which is in about a half-hour, not to mention our free period, which I have to ask Headmaster Ozpin something. I have an idea,’ Ray said. ‘Otherwise, today is pretty light, but tomorrow is combat with Professor Goodwitch, and that is an all-day affair.’

“Hey, you think  _ RWBY _ or  _ JNPR _ are up right now?” Grace asked off to the side.

Ray smiled and shook his head, ‘Ruby and Yang are notorious for sleeping in, unless there is something that excites them. You should have seen them when they first met me…’ he trailed off as he gained a look in his eye, one of sadness. Continuing on before they decided to question him, ‘Anyway, they are up, probably doing something to annoy Weiss. Tera, she seems a bit uptight.’ This was accompanied by a wince. Ray doesn’t make assumptions about people but she radiated that silver spoon vibe.

“Well, I did say I only met her once. As for our conversation…” Tera hummed, “she seemed less confident in herself, still striving for perfection. Even now, she might be chasing after an impossible goal.”

“Still, is she always like this?” Grace gently asked, still trying to keep her eyes open. Surely, she thought a shower would have woken her up, but she just was struggling to function.

The Mistralian shrugged, “How should I know? Atlas is vastly different from Mistral.”

Meanwhile, Nick was hearing whispers about Tera, and how there was no way she was a Rowe. One even mentioned that the RBC never showed a daughter in any press conference, article, or journal. Nick’s facial expression quickly turned sour. ‘{Talk to me,}’ Ray tapped the table whilst eating a piece of toast. It had jam on it, and it was decent, but Tai’s cooking is better.

“I’d rather not open that can of wormsss,” Nick said flatly.

“Lemme guess, they’re talking about me as well?” Tera guessed with a bored look on her face, even as she ate her eggs.

“Yes and no, some are about the ssspar yesterday, but a few are still grasssping the topic of you,” Nick retorted. “Honestly, they need a better life rather than worrying about who you are.”

“It’s a good thing I never really cared about outside opinions, except you guys, yours mean the most,” Tera said with a flat tone, but her eyes showed her true sentiment.

‘Well, someone has to have your back,’ Ray signed before checking the time on his scroll. ‘We have ten minutes before class, better get a move on.’ The silver-eyed boy grabbed all the trash from their table and threw it out, dusting his hands off.

Grace rubbed her eyes, “I really need a coffee or something, why am I so tired?”

Ray subtly tapped her side, ‘{Maybe if you stop thinking about us in different scenarios, you would sleep better.}’

She cuffed him over the head with a blush on her face, Ray silently snickered before throwing an arm around her, ‘That is why I enjoy your company, I tease, you hit me, and we laugh. Trust me though, Karma will call and collect one day.’

  
  


* * *

As they arrived in class, they saw both  _ RWBY  _ and  _ JNPR _ rush in the door right as the bell rang. There was a smirk from  _ GRNT _ , but they let it go as Professor Port entered the room. The man in front of them was certainly large with his bloated belly, dress pants, and a gold-trimmed red shirt. The man’s hair was shining silver, akin to Ray’s eye color, and the mustache matched as well.

The burly man immediately began speaking, “Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I simply refer to them as  _ prey _ . Now, as you have already found out, the Grimm themselves are not to be taken lightly. One false move and your life will be over.”

There is a snort in the back of the room, Beowulf had been in the class 30 minutes before the bell rang. Living on the streets, he woke up at 4-5ish in the morning, nothing had changed. He hunted down his breakfast, after learning how to work the shower.  _ Ozpin had failed to mention that a 9 ft Grimm would not be able to fit in said shower as well. _ Making his way to the classroom while the lights were still off and he waited. Did he mention that it was a long wait?

Most students seemed to finally pay attention. Most of the students heard that Professor Port had only spoken about stories of his heroics as a Huntsman.

“Which reminds me of a time in my youth where I took on an Alpha Beowolf with only a stick…”

Now, all of the students had tuned him out, some on their scrolls, others flat out asleep, but there were a few who opened up their books and started taking notes,  _ GRNT  _ being amongst those in the latter category. They knew that the Grimm had to be taken seriously. A few mishaps in their youth almost had almost cost them their lives.

Beo, Just sat in his spot listening. He and Wulf had fought Alpha Beowolves before, they were angry little shits but easy to kill.

“Ahem, apologies about that. Now, who would like to prove they have what it takes?” Professor Port said as a cage was brought into the room. Nick felt a small chill overtake him, and leaned over to whisper what he felt.

He gained three curious looks as a pale hand shot into the air, “I do!”

Tera saw it was the one and only Weiss Schnee. This could only go one of two ways.

Turns out it went the positive way, but not without a pissed-off Heiress yelling at her team leader. As much as Ray wanted to intervene, Tera had to be the one to talk him out of it. It kills him on the inside, but he knows he can’t get involved with another team’s partner, and not in that sense. He just can’t meddle with their difficulties.

Now that Port’s class was over, Ray had entered Beacon’s Tower, alone. He had a question for the Headmaster. It was only an idea and instead of building it up, only for it to get shot down, he would ask for a second opinion.

The elevator ride up was slow, and honestly more nerve-racking than he thought. So, he closed his eyes and waited for the ding to signify his arrival. Ray already knew what he wanted to do, but he needed permission.

_ Ding. _

Ray opened his eyes as he saw the top floor of Beacon Tower, an old clocktower. The visible gears slowly clicking in his ears, giving off a sense of ease. The hidden tension in his shoulders disappeared as Professor Goodwitch noticed him, “Mr. O’Connor, what brings you up here?”

‘I have something to ask Professor Ozpin, is he busy right now?’ The silver-eyed boy asked.

“Let him in,” Ozpin’s voice carried through the door, shocking the pair outside of it. Without much being said, Ray opened the door, entered, and the door thudded shut.  _ Not ominous at all. _ “How can I help you, Mr. O’Connor?” Professor Ozpin was sitting behind his crescent-shaped desk, with a mug in hand and his cane’s crown just peering over the desk. The wide-open circle room felt a lot smaller than it actually was.

‘Would it be alright if I taught a class in sign language?’ Ray asked outright in case his nerves overtook his rationality. This was really terrifying, because… Ray didn’t have a clue why…

“Elaborate, if you will?” Ozpin asked, curious as to why he would ask this.

‘Well, I cannot talk to most of the students here because they do not understand sign language. If I was to teach them, then maybe I would not feel as lonely as I am. That, and while I may be able to use my scroll, it… does not feel like it is me speaking,’ Ray explained, and this was one of his buried fears. A skeleton in the closet, if you will.

Ozpin had a pensive expression on his face, the Headmaster was wondering about the pros and cons.

Ray saw the look as permission to keep going, ‘This will allow them the option to speak with me  _ and _ allow them to use these symbols out in the field. For example, a team is on a stealth mission but they cannot speak otherwise they are found out, using a symbol could save their lives.’

“Do you realize the responsibility you would be taking on?” Ozpin asked. His tone conveying the pressure of having a class might be taxing on him.

‘I have thought about it, yes, and I could have something drawn up in a couple of days, if classwork and combat class does not knock me out,’ Ray reasoned.

“Have you brought this up to your team?” Ozpin questioned further.

Ray winced, ‘No, they are not aware of this, and I want to keep it that way for now at least. If I tell them, then it is dependent on your answer.’

The Headmaster smiled as he took a sip from his mug.  _ Oh, you are so much like her. _ Deciding to indulge him on this, “Mr. O’Connor, would follow me please?” Ozpin stood, grabbed his cane, and walked by Ray.

Tapping his sides, ‘{Okay, but what for?}’

“I have something that might pique your interest.”

Pique his interest it did.

* * *

Back in  _ GRNT’s _ dorm, the girls could be seen pacing, while Nick was lounging on his bed, finally free of his uniform. “Where’s Ray?” Nick asked.

“If we knew, then we wouldn’t be pacing waiting for him, now would we?” Tera snarked.

At that moment, the door opened, and in came Ray with a binder or two in his arms. He quickly put it down in the midst of them badgering him with questions. He simply held up a hand and gestured to the books, ‘This is what I was planning, but apparently, I was not the first to think so.’ Ray hadn’t looked at them, but they were definitely well-organized, judging by the multiple tabs inserted into them.

“What is it?” Nick asked, curious now.

‘I wanted to teach sign language to the students of Beacon,’ Ray revealed.

Grace was shocked, Nick nodded, and Tera smiled. Ray gauged each reaction, and felt like Nick knew the true reason for why he was doing this, “Do you realize the stress that it will put on you?!”

‘I have considered that, which is why this will only take place twice a week, not every day,’ Ray said. ‘I was thinking of Tuesdays and Thursdays, sometime in the afternoon, maybe before dinner? But on the bright side, I do not have to come with lesson plans, as is what these binders are for.’

Tera walked over to them and ran a hand down its spine, these were old, around a decade or so, “Where did you get these?”

‘Professor Ozpin had them in storage and he gave them to me. This will not happen in the coming days, maybe a few weeks from now,’ Ray signed, beaming with pride.

Tera opened one of them and looked at the first page, the handwriting was feminine, it was too neat for any male to have curvy cursive. If one such male existed then…  _ yeesh _ . Ray caught something from the corner of his eye and quickly looked over it before his eyes misted. The sudden mood change caught everyone’s attention. “Ray, what’s wrong?”

_ This writing… why do I know it, but I’ve never seen it before... _ “Ray, snap out of it!” Grace snapped her fingers in his vision. “Sign to me, Ray.”

‘I feel like I know who this is, but I have never met them before, but I still cannot believe that this feels familiar somehow,’ Ray said, clearing his eyes. ‘However, I still plan to go forward. Who knows; maybe a life will be saved if they are ever in a jam.’

Nick laughed, “Oh Ray, never change.”

* * *

Meanwhile, at the top of Beacon’s Tower, sat Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch. The latter speaking to the former, “Why did you give him that?”

“I simply gave him the means to move forward, after all, he truly was not the first to suggest such a thing, but for him, it holds merit,” he replied, looking over his academy.

“Did you at least take out the last page?” Goodwitch asked, rubbing her temples. The past three days have been stressful. From making sure the Emerald Forest was cleared, to the initiation, and to today, she was fed up with things going pear-shaped.

A piece of paper was placed on the desk, “You mean this?” The Headmaster had a smug little smile on his face.

The paper simply said:

_ This is a guide for anyone with a hearing or physical disability. If I have time, then I will make an updated version, but for now, I leave this in the care of whomever possesses it. _

_ -RJ _

“That’s not her last name, they got married soon after this was made,” Goodwitch remarked.

“I am aware, Glynda. It is better that he does not learn who this is yet, because he will not be ready for the challenge that awaits him nor his team,” he replied.

“Do you not have faith in them?” She leaned her arms on his massive desk, which for a Headmaster, was surprisingly clear of papers.

“On the contrary, I believe that he is not ready, his skills are remarkable for someone his age, and he feels… different from the prodigy.” Sipping his mug, which Goodwitch makes a mental note of how he always seems to have it on hand, he continued, “Which leads me to believe he has used them once before but does not remember it. My goal for him is to… remind him, so that he may be what he desires to be.”

A pause.

“A Huntsman. One that strives to be the shining light in our hour of need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistralian (Chinese) Translations
> 
> Báichī = Idiots


End file.
